Background to this inspection
Updated
16 January 2024
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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
One inspector carried out this inspection.
Service and service type
Larchfield Community provides care and support to people living in a 'supported living' setting, so that they can live in their own home 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. This service also provides domiciliary personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke to the registered manager; the care and support manager and we received feedback from 13 care staff and 3 relatives. We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people's complete care records as well as medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision as well as staff feedback forms. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.
Updated
16 January 2024
About the service
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and 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 supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
Larchfield Community provides care and support to people living in a 'supported living' setting, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. At the time of our inspection 36 people were receiving personal care from the service
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.
Right support: The service maximised people’s choice, control and independence 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. Where people lacked capacity to make certain decisions appropriate support was sought to support them.
Staff were safely recruited. They received an induction followed by training from the provider. Training was monitored and staff were supported with regular meetings and supervisions. Staffing capacity was enough to meet people’s needs. The provider followed current best practice guidelines to effectively manage people's medicines and risks associated with infection prevention and control (IPC). People and their relatives were very positive about the care provided. People told us they felt safe, and staff had the skills to support them.
Right care: Care was person-centred and promoted people's dignity, privacy, and human rights. People were encouraged to communicate freely and accessed community for activities when they wanted to. Staff supported people to learn new skills and maintain important contacts. People's care records were extremely detailed and up to date. Staff knew people well and understood their support needs which empowered people to make decisions about their care.
Right culture: People who use the service live confident, inclusive, and empowered lives thanks to the leaders' and care staff's values and behaviours. The staff team coordinated efficiently to ensure that people's rights and preferences were respected. The management team set a good example, and people were encouraged to take positive risks and were supported to complete more tasks independently.
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 good (published 4 May 2018).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
We undertook a focused inspection. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed not changed. 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 Larchfield Community on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.