Dedicated Life Care

Updated 30 December 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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in three ‘supported living’ settings, 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

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three members of staff including the managing director, registered manager and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed a range of records. This included multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and a variety of policies and procedures. We looked at care records relating to three people. We were unable to speak with people who used the service due to their complex needs. However, we spoke with three relatives and two staff, one of whom was a support worker, the other an activities coordinator who also worked some care shifts.

Updated 30 December 2021

About the service

Dedicated Life Care is a supported living service providing personal care to six people at the time of the inspection, in three separate sites. The service specialises in supporting young adults with learning disabilities and/or on the autistic spectrum. The three sites are all regular houses n residential areas. One home has three people living there, one has two and the third has only one current person. All provide 24-hour staff support including sleeping staff during the night.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Relatives expressed great satisfaction with the service. This was summed up by one who said, "They are doing a great job, I would recommend them highly.”

Systems were in place to help safeguard people from abuse. Risk assessments were in place which set out the risks people faced and included information about how to mitigate those risks. There were enough staff to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed in a safe way. Steps had been taken to help prevent the spread of infections. Accidents and incidents were investigated so lessons could be learnt.

Initial assessments were carried out of people's needs before they started using the service to see if the provider could meet them. Staff received training and supervision to support them in their role. The provider worked with other agencies to meet people's health care needs. People were supported to eat a healthy diet and were able to make choices about what they ate and drank.

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.

Relatives told us that staff were kind and caring and treated people well. People were supported to have control and choice over their daily lives. People's privacy was respected, and staff understood the importance of maintaining confidentiality.

Care plans were in place which set out how to meet the individual needs of people. People and relatives were involved in developing these plans, which meant they were able to reflect people's needs and preferences. The service used different ways to help communicate with people, depending on their individual needs. People were supported to engage in a variety of social and leisure activities. Relatives told us they had confidence that any complaints raised would be addressed.

Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place to help drive improvements at the service. There was an open and positive culture at the service which meant people, relatives and staff could express their views. The provider was aware of their legal obligations, and worked with other agencies to develop best practice and share knowledge.

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.

Right support

¿ People were supported to live as independently as possible through the promotion of independent living skills. People were in a supported living service which provided choice over who their care provider was.

Right care

¿ Care was person-centred, based around the needs of individuals and was planned with their input as much as possible. The provider worked with people to support their privacy and human rights, for example, in relation to family life.

Right culture

¿ The provider encouraged an open and inclusive culture and people were supported to take part in meaningful community based activities.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at the last inspection

This service was registered with us on 10/08/2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

We had not previously inspected this service, and we wanted to check that care and support provided was safe.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit.