Coalpit Flats

Updated 22 February 2019

The inspection:

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Service and service type:

Coalpit Flats provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection was announced. We gave the manager 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the service is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started on 24 January 2019 and ended on 28 January 2019. It included visiting the office location and talking to people and their relatives by telephone. We visited the office location on 24 January 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

Prior to the inspection, we looked at the information we held about the service and used this to help us plan our inspection. We looked at notifications that we had received about events that had happened at the service, which the provider is required to send to us by law. These included notifications about deaths, serious injuries and safeguardings. We also considered the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we ask the provider to send to us at least annually to give us key information about the service such as what it does well and any improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection visit, we spoke with one person who used the service and observed the interactions between people and staff in communal areas of the service. We spoke with two members of support staff, a team leader and the registered manager. We looked at one person’s care and medicine administration records and records that related to the management and running of the service such as audits.

Following the inspection visit, we spoke with three relatives of people who used the service by telephone.

Updated 22 February 2019

About the service:

Coalpit Flats is a supported living service for people living with learning

disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder who may also have mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were five people using the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

What life is like for people using this service:

People were safe because staff understood any risks to their health and wellbeing and what action to take if they thought people were at risk of harm. The registered manager ensured there were always enough staff on duty who had been trained in safe medicines management and good infection control practices.

People received effective care from staff who were knowledgeable and had the skills and experience to support them. Staff encouraged people to follow a healthy diet and had good relationships with other healthcare professionals to ensure people received timely support when they needed it. People made their own decisions or were given support to do so in their best interests.

People had caring, kind supportive relationships with the staff who supported them. Staff promoted people’s privacy, dignity and diversity and took pride when people achieved some independence in their lives.

Staff supported people to live interesting and fulfilled lives and achieve their goals and ambitions. Information was provided in formats that was accessible to people and staff ensured people’s voices were heard.

People, relatives and staff were happy with the management of the service and told us the registered manager was actively involved in the daily routines and readily available to discuss any matters. Staff felt they were fully supported by the registered manager and were included in any developments of the service.

More information is in the Detailed Findings below.

Rating at last inspection:

Good (report published 18 August 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. We found the provider had maintained the characteristics of Good in all areas and the overall rating remains as Good.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner. .