Background to this inspection
Updated
15 June 2023
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 15 May 2023 and ended on 1 June 2023. We visited the location’s office on 15 and 26 May 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We also contacted Healthwatch Sheffield. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We received feedback from 1 relative about their experience of the care provided and met with 2 people who used the service. We spoke with the nominated individual, registered manager and 5 support workers. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We reviewed 5 staff files in relation to recruitment, training, and supervision.
After the inspection
We reviewed 2 people's care plans and risk assessments.
We attempted contact with 7 health and social care professionals who have experience of the service and we received 2 responses.
A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager and nominated individual to validate evidence found.
Updated
15 June 2023
About the service
Active Friendly Support is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. It provides a service to people who have a learning disability and/or autism. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, the service was providing personal care to 2 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
This provider was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Right Support:
People at Active Friendly Support were placed at the heart of the service. There was a strong person-centred culture that valued the individual and involved people in making decisions about their lives.
The provider had processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding and knew how to act on concerns. A relative told us they felt that their relative was safe. They commented, “Yes – they’re really good staff that [persons] got.”
There was a recruitment system to ensure appropriate staff were employed and there were enough staff to support people.
Risks associated with people’s care had been identified and assessments were in place to minimise risks occurring.
Professionals involved were positive about the support provided. One commented, “All my clients are absolutely 100% happy with the support they receive and the `extra mile` that both management and support workers give to ensure people have a positive and fulfilled life.”
Right Care:
People received care and support from staff who knew them well and understood their needs and considered their preferences. Staff interacted positively with people and had a caring and respectful approach.
People were supported to achieve their goals and to increase their independence.
Staff worked in partnership with health professionals to ensure people received the right care and support. One professional commented, “I have worked with Active Friendly Support to use a Trauma Informed Care framework which they have initiated really well and in a sensitive way. They have implemented all agreed strategies and have been keen to discuss and build on these.”
Right Culture:
The senior team and staff had developed a strong and visible person-centred culture in the service and all staff we spoke with were fully supportive of this.
People were involved in planning their support and deciding how they wanted staff to support them to meet their outcomes and achieve their goals. People received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity.
Staff told us should they have any concerns about poor practice they would feel confident to raise them and for their concerns to be acted upon. One staff commented, “I would feel comfortable addressing any issues I saw directly with colleagues or with [Registered Manager]. If I wasn’t we all know about whistleblowing.”
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (report published 14 November 2019). A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this service on 08 October 2019. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when, to improve fit and proper persons employed.
We undertook a focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well Led which contain those requirements.
The overall rating for the service has improved to good.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.