Background to this inspection
Updated
13 January 2022
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 completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. The Care Quality Commission [CQC] does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. 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 the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used this information to plan our inspection. 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.
During the inspection
We visited the office of this service and the supported living accommodation where people lived. We spoke with three people, the registered manager and a member of the care staff. We inspected four care files and four staff files. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service.
After the inspection
We spoke with three people’s relatives on the telephone about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with a community nurse on the telephone, a professional who regularly visits the service. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
13 January 2022
About the service:
Comfort Living Care Limited is a domiciliary care and supported living agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of our inspection it provided a service to four people. The Care Quality Commission (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:
The service was well led by the registered manager who was keen to employ innovative ways of working to develop the service. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided to people which ensured good governance.
People and their relatives told us they felt safe with the care and support they received from staff.
Comprehensive risk assessments and risk management strategies were in place as part of the assessment and support planning process. This meant risks to people and to staff were minimised.
People were protected from the risk of abuse. The service had safeguarding procedures in place that staff received training for and were understood.
People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.
There were robust recruitment practices in place and sufficient staff levels to meet people’s needs.
Accidents, incidents and risks were appropriately recorded and included strategies to reduce the likelihood of events re-occurring in the future.
People's nutritional needs were met and where people required support with nutrition, care plans provided staff with guidance on people's support needs.
Services were delivered in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and staff sought consent prior to providing care and offered people choices to encourage people to make their own decisions.
People were supported to have healthier lives. Staff assisted them to access health professionals when needed to ensure their health and well-being was monitored.
People told us they benefitted from caring relationships with the staff.
People were treated as individuals by staff committed to respecting people's individual preferences.
The provider had systems in place to ensure concerns and complaints were responded to in an appropriate way.
The service had systems in place to notify the appropriate authorities where concerns were identified. The culture of the service was positive, open and person centred.
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 the 7th May 2020 and this was the first inspection.
Why we inspected:
This inspection was prompted because the service had not received a comprehensive inspection since they registered with us in May 2020.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service using our monitoring systems and we will re-inspect when indicated.