Greenacres

Updated 4 March 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 carried out by one Inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides a short break service including personal care and support to people living in the community. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for short break services. This inspection looked at people's personal care and support.

The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. Registered managers 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 because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or manager would be in the office to support the inspection

Inspection activity started on the 16 February 2022 and end on the 17 February 2022. We visited the office location on the 16 February 2022.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since their registration. The provider completed 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 used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two relatives about their experience of the care provided. People who used the service who were unable to talk with us used different ways of communicating including using their body language.

We spoke with four members of staff including the nominated individual, acting manager and two support staff. 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 two people’s care and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 4 March 2022

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.

About the service

Greenacres is a domiciliary, short break care service that offers people with learning disabilities the opportunity to have a break away from home with personal care support provided. Personal care support was also offered to people in their own. At the time of our inspection there were six people using the service.

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

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.

Right care:

Care was planned and delivered which promoted and supported people's dignity, privacy and human rights. The staff team took time to understand people's specific personalities, routines and behaviours to ensure their support was consistent and individual to them.

Staff ensured people experienced a smooth transition into the service. Care was planned and delivered according to people's needs, wishes and choices.

Care records contained clear information covering all aspects of people's individualised care and support. Information about people was written in a respectful and personalised way.

Right support:

People received care which was focused around their needs and preferences by staff who were passionate about improving people's quality of life experience and help them reach achieve their aspirations.

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 had their needs assessed prior to receiving care and support. Staff worked with various social and health care professionals to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.

Right culture:

The provider's vision and values demonstrated a passion to maximise people's choices and control over the way their care was delivered. This was embedded in staff practices. People’s relatives were complimentary about the quality of care provided.

Staff demonstrated awareness of how to recognise abuse and understood their responsibility for reporting safeguarding concerns.

Suitable numbers of trained staff were employed to support people which meant that they were supported by a consistent staff team who knew them well. Staff told us they were supported well by the management team and trained to meet people's needs.

Safe recruitment practices were used to ensure people were supported by staff who were of good character. A number of incentives had been introduced to improve the ability to recruit and retain staff.

The provider maintained good oversight of the service through effective systems for quality

and safety monitoring.

There was a complaints policy and process in place. No complaints had been received.

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 12 January 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

This service had not been inspected since their registration; therefore, this inspection was carried out to gain assurances about the quality of care and systems used to monitor and the manage 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.