Background to this inspection
Updated
9 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 is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses, flats and specialist housing.
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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was to ensure the registered manager was available to support the inspection and to ensure we had prior information to promote safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The notice period also allowed the provider time to start asking people using the service and their relatives, if they would be prepared to speak to us about their experiences. Inspection activity started on 3 November and ended on 18 November, by which time we had sought the views of people, relatives and staff and reviewed all additional information sent following the visit. We conducted the office visit on 4 November 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included notifications sent to us by the home. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send to us without delay. 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 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 with two people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven staff members, which included the registered manager, deputy manager and five care staff.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at five staff files in relation to recruitment, training and support. 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 audit and monitoring information, action plans, training data, policies & procedures.
Updated
9 December 2021
About the service
Supported Steps Head Office is a mental health and domiciliary care service which supports people in their own home to live as independently as possible. Alongside assistance with daily living skills, the service provides advice and support with people’s emotional needs, using therapeutic tools and resources centred around goal setting and self-care.
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 our inspection, the service supported eight people with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service provided safe care which met people’s needs. People and relatives told us they felt comfortable in the presence of staff, who were competent, caring and compassionate. Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew how to report any concerns. Care visits were completed timely, with staff remaining for the allocated length of time. The service was proactive in letting people know if staff were running late due to traffic congestion. People received their medicines safely from staff who had been trained and assessed as competent.
People were fully involved in the assessment process prior to their care package commencing. This enabled them to discuss what support they wanted and ensure the service could meet their needs. Staff received enough training and support to carry out their roles safely and effectively. 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.
People and relatives confirmed they received good care from staff who respected their privacy and dignity. Staff were mindful of the importance of offering choice and promoting independence. People’s views were sought through reviews and surveys, to ensure the service was meeting their needs.
Care files contained detailed information about each person and how they wished to be supported. People and relatives were actively involved in discussions around care planning and spoke positively about communication in general. The complaints process was provided to people at the commencement of their care package. Each person or relative we spoke with knew how to raise concerns but had not needed to.
People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the management of the service and support provided. Management were reported to be both accessible and approachable. A range of systems and processes were used to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the service, with an improvement plan used to ensure any identified issues were addressed.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The service was registered with us on the 24 July 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned comprehensive inspection to enable us to provide an overall rating for the service.
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.