We carried out a review of the data available to us about United Response - Huddersfield 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 United Response - Huddersfield DCA, you can give feedback on this service.
United Response – Huddersfield provides both a domiciliary care service and a supported living service to people living in their own homes.
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, five people were receiving domiciliary care. The service provided a supported living service to 14 people in five individual homes.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were safe and protected from the risk of harm. The management of people’s medicines was safe. People were able to access other health care professionals as the need arose.
The recruitment procedure was thorough. New staff completed a programme of induction and all staff received regular training. There was a programme of supervision in place to support staff. People were supported by a consistent staff team.
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.
Staff were caring and kind. People’s right to privacy and dignity was respected. People and their families were involved in making decisions about their care.
People participated in a range of activities. People were supported to maintain contact with their family.
People’s care records were person centred. They were reviewed and updated regularly.
People, staff and families thought the service was well led. Staff clearly understood their role and responsibilities. A range of audits were completed at regular intervals to assess the quality of the service people received.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 23 December 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
United Response Huddersfield is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care to people living in their own homes. The service supports adults and older people with physical and learning disability support needs. The service varied from supporting a number of people to live independently in a shared tenancy, to one to one support to access community services or gain independence skills.
The service had a registered manager who had been registered since 2013. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We found that people’s care was delivered safely and in a manner of their choosing, or in their best interests. People were supported in a manner that reflected their wishes and supported them to remain as independent as possible or to develop further independence.
Where the registered manager had identified issues relating to their delayed response to a complaint they had taken steps to ensure this issue was addressed. We saw that where people had complained action had been taken and improvements were being made to the service offered.
Staff told us and records showed us they were trained and inducted well into their new roles, or when they were to work with a new person. They felt they had been supported and mentored effectively and people and staff were matched by the service to assist in delivering a personalised service.
People’s medicines were managed well. Staff watched for potential side effects and sought medical advice as needed when people’s conditions changed. People were supported to self-manage their own medicines if they wished.
Staff felt they were well trained and encouraged to look for ways to improve on their work. Staff told us they felt valued and this was reflected in the way they talked about the service, the registered manager and the people they worked with.
People who used the service were matched with suitable staff to support their needs, and if people requested changes these were facilitated quickly. Relatives were mostly complimentary of the service, and were usually included and involved by the staff. They felt the service provided met some complex needs. We noted that some people thought communication could be improved when new senior staff were appointed, the registered manager agreed to review this in future.
There were high levels of contact between the staff and people, seeking feedback and offering support to people. People’s relatives felt able to raise any questions or concerns and felt these would be acted upon.
When people’s needs changed staff took action, seeking external professional help and incorporating any changes into care plans and their working practices. Staff worked to support people’s long term relationships. People thought that staff were open and transparent with them about issues and sought their advice and input regularly.
The registered manager was seen as a good leader, by both staff and most relatives of people using the service. They were trusted and had created a strong sense of commitment to meeting people’s diverse needs and supporting staff. External professionals felt that people’s needs were supported effectively by a person centred service.