We carried out a review of the data available to us about Supported Lifestyles Main Office on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Supported Lifestyles Main Office, you can give feedback on this service.
Supported Lifestyles Main Office is a supported living service. Not everyone who uses the service receives personal care. 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 the inspection, the service was providing personal care to 54 people with a learning disability and autistic people across nine settings in the Bournemouth and Southbourne area. There was a central office in Southbourne.
The size of the supported living settings varied between four and eight bedrooms or flats. Each of the locations had a staff sleep-in room and an office. There were shared living areas and kitchen spaces. Some people in some of the settings had their own kitchenettes within their flats.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and relatives said they or their loved ones felt comfortable with staff. People had a consistent team of safely recruited staff with the necessary skills and abilities to support them safely. People received the support they needed to manage risks, whilst developing their independence. Medicines were managed safely, as was the risk of infection.
People and relatives praised the support provided. Care was personalised. There was an emphasis on getting to know and understand people. People had the support they needed with communicating. They were supported to keep in contact with their families, to develop friendships and to get involved in work, education and hobbies.
The service had an open, inclusive, person-centred culture. Relatives voiced confidence in senior leaders, who had close oversight of the whole service and were in regular communication with people and their families.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
Based on our review of key questions safe, responsive and well-led, the service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right support:
• People and relatives told us how they or their family member lived how they wanted to live and had the support they needed to do this. Staff encouraged people’s choice, control and independence. 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 care:
• Care and support was provided according to people’s individual needs and wishes. It promoted their dignity, privacy and human rights.
Right culture:
• The ethos across the service was that people should be supported in such a way as they could lead confident, inclusive lives. The senior leadership team role-modelled such person-centred practice. They had regular contact with people, relatives and staff, overseeing the culture of the service and ensuring this remained positive. They responded promptly and openly to any concerns raised by people, families or staff.
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 (published 24 September 2019) and there was a breach of regulation. 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 27 and 29 August 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 good governance.
We undertook this 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, responsive and well-led, which includes those requirements.
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Supported Lifestyles Main Office on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Supported Lifestyles Main Office is a Domiciliary Care Service. It was providing personal care to 54 people across nine supported living settings with learning difficulties, autism and mental health needs at the time of the inspection. There was a central office based in Southbourne.
The size of the supported living settings varied between four and eight bedrooms or flats. Each of the locations had a staff sleep in room and an office. There were shared living areas and kitchen dining spaces. Some people in some of the settings had their own kitchenettes within their flats.
The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.
As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people.
The service used positive behaviour support principles to support people in the least restrictive way.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service management and leadership was inconsistent and quality systems were not always effective or robust. The registered manager did not have oversight of all nine supported living settings. Gaps in record keeping had not been identified.
People at Supported Lifestyles Main Office told us they were happy and felt safe. Relatives said that staff had a good understanding of their loved one’s needs and preferences. Risks had been identified and measures put in place to keep people safe from harm. Medicines were managed safely and administered by trained staff. The administration of homely remedies was being reviewed.
Staff listened to what people wanted and acted quickly to support them to achieve their goals and outcomes. Staff offered people solutions to aid their independence and develop their skills.
People received an effective service. The staff team were motivated and there was a strong commitment to the development of their competence and knowledge. Staff worked positively to promote people’s health and ensure good outcomes for their physical and mental wellbeing.
Staff were well trained and skilled. They worked with people to overcome challenges and promote their independence. The emphasis of support was towards inclusion and enabling people to learn essential life skills. Equality, Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR) were promoted and understood by staff.
People, professionals and their families described the staff as caring, kind and friendly and the atmosphere of the home as relaxed and engaging. 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.
The service was responsive to people’s current and changing needs. Regular reviews took place which ensured people were at the centre of their support.
A new registered manager had been recruited since the last inspection. Leadership was visible and promoted good teamwork. People, professionals and staff spoke highly about the management and staff. The registered manager, service managers, team coordinators and staff team worked together in a positive way to support people to achieve their own goals and to be safe.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 10 August 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Enforcement
We have identified a breach in relation to the deployment of staff at this inspection.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.