We carried out a review of the data available to us about London DCA 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 London DCA, you can give feedback on this service.
London DCA is a domiciliary care and ‘supported living’ service and is registered to provide personal care and support to people who have a learning disability or complex needs in their own homes. 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.
At the time of the inspection there were 19 people receiving personal care in five different supported living settings on 24/7 hour support. We visited some people who lived in self-contained flats and adapted or purpose-built houses where people had their own bedroom and sometimes individual or shared bathrooms and communal areas.
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 and their relatives told us they were happy with the care and support provided. Comments included, “We know [person] feels safe even though communication is difficult”; “[Staff] go out of their way to make things as safe as possible for [person] from checking her daily for sores to managing her feed and keeping her clean” and “[Person] feels safe and is happy with everyone and anyone there who looks out for him.”
People were protected from risk of avoidable harm. Comments included, “They look after me so well, I couldn’t ask for better”; “The staff support me good, always take me where I need to go” and “The staff help me to lock the doors and windows as I get a bit forgetful”. Staff knew how to identify and report abuse to protect people from harm. Risk assessments were carried out and management plans put in place to ensure people received care in a safe manner.
Sufficient numbers of staff were deployed to meet people’s care and support needs. People’s medicines were managed safely and administered when required.
Infection control and prevention practices at the service were in line with best practice guidelines including those associated with COVID-19.
People were supported by staff who were recruited safely and undertook an induction before they started providing care. Staff were trained and supported to ensure they met people’s needs. Staff provided care safely in manner that reduced the risk of spread of infection.
People told us they had developed positive and meaningful caring relationships with staff, most of whom had provided their care for several years. Comments included, “[Staff] genuinely care, they see [person] not as a set of difficult behaviours. He trusts them, they have a good relationship” and “[Person] is always well cared for and [staff] provide her with the help she requires.”
People’s care delivery maintained their dignity, confidentiality and privacy. Staff sought people’s consent before they supported them. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and to make choices about their daily living.
People’s needs were assessed and met. People accessed healthcare services in a timely manner. Care and support plans were updated to reflect changes to people’s health which ensured staff provided appropriate care to each person. People felt confident to make a complaint when they were unhappy with any aspect of the service.
Checks and audits were carried out on the quality of care to drive improvement. People, staff and relatives were involved in the management of the service and their views were considered. The provider worked in partnership with other agencies, health and social care professionals and external organisations to ensure people’s needs were met.
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.
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.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture for those people who use the service and had a learning disability.
Right support: Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and Independence; Right care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights; Right culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives
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 on 09/01/2020.
The last rating for the service at the previous premises was good, published on 23 May 2019.
Why we inspected
We inspected this service in line with our inspection methodology and because the service did not have a rating at their new location.
Follow-up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.