Background to this inspection
Updated
4 March 2021
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by a single inspector.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting (people had their own accommodation in six separate bungalows), 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
This inspection was announced.
We gave the service two working days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that staff would be available to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 11 January 2021 and ended on 11 February 2021. We visited the office location on 11 February 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
Prior to the inspection we received feedback on the service via email from three relatives, four health and social professionals and six staff members. We also spoke with the registered manager and two deputy managers to gather information about the service. We received various documents, including a sample of audits, two people’s care and support records and documents relating to the management of the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We briefly spoke with two people who used the service, although they could not tell us about their experiences of living in the service, they appeared happy. We spoke with two members of staff and the two deputy managers assisted with the site visit.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s medicines files and their medicine records. Staff rotas, information held about agency staff and a sample of health and safety records.
Updated
4 March 2021
About the service
SeeAbility - Bicester Support Service is a supported living service. The Bicester site can provide support for up to six people with a learning disability and/or autism. There were five people receiving a regulated activity of personal care at the time of the inspection. The Kennington site can currently provide support for up to six people. One person at the Kennington site was receiving personal care support and they were not living in their home at the time of this inspection.
Not everyone who used the service received 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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People’s needs were assessed prior to moving to the service and the transitional process to the service was at the person’s pace and was not rushed. As most people could not tell us their experiences of the service, the feedback from relatives and professionals showed the service empowered people to live full and enriching lives. One relative commented, “We are always made to feel that our views are important.”
People were protected by staff who knew how to report concerns relating to harm and abuse. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs.
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 guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were involved in decisions about their care and supported to make choices about their day to day living. The culture of the service promoted independence, choices and empowerment for the people living in the service. Staff had a good understanding of how people communicated their needs and wishes and respected people’s likes and dislikes. People’s care was focused around their needs and staff supported people to engage in activities in the service and outside in the community. People were supported to maintain social contact with their families.
Medicines were managed safely. People were supported in line with their support plans which meant risks to people were effectively managed and reviewed on a regular basis.
There were safe infection and prevention and control practices (IPC) being followed. Relatives confirmed, and we saw during the site visit, that staff followed IPC policies and procedures, this included using personal protective equipment, such as the wearing of masks.
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 registered manager had a clear understanding of their responsibilities and a good overview of the service. Regular auditing took place to inform where improvements may be required.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection: This service was registered with us in September 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection as this service had been registered since 2019.
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.