Norwich Supported Living

Updated 14 March 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide 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 care and support to people living in “supported living” settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. The Care Quality Commission does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service provides support to 15 people who receive a regulated service in three houses. Each person has their own room and shared communal areas such as kitchen, living room and dining room. Staff provide support on a rota basis, including cover at night.

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. They are referred to as the “registered manager” throughout the report. The registered manager was supported by team managers in each house.

Notice of inspection:

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in. The inspection site visit was completed on 21 February 2019, phone calls to staff were completed on 20 February 2019 and phone calls to relatives on 22 February 2019.

What we did:

Before the inspection we looked at all the information that we had about the service.

• This included information from statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

• We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

• We also contacted professionals working with the service for their views.

During the inspection

• We spoke with the registered manager, two team managers and four staff

• We spoke with two people who used the service and two relatives.

• We reviewed three people’s care records

• We looked at the medicine administration records (MAR) and supporting documents for four people.

• We looked at records relating to the governance and management of the service.

• After the inspection we asked the Registered Manager and team managers to send us further documents which we reviewed. These were received within the agreed timescales.

Updated 14 March 2019

About the service: Norwich Supported Living provides care and support to people with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection it was providing support to 15 people who used the regulated service. This service provides care and support to people living in “supported living” settings so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible.

People’s experience of using this service:

• The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

• People were protected from abuse, neglect and discrimination. Staff ensured people’s safety and acted when necessary to prevent any harm

• Individual risks to people were assessed and managed to keep people safe.

• Medicines systems were organised and people were receiving their medicines when they should.

• The service was very person centred and assessed people’s needs and individual preferences.

• Staff told us that the training they attended was good and gave them the skills and knowledge they needed to support people.

• Health care professionals such as district nurses, the GP, and dietician had been involved in people’s care.

• People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

• People were supported to express their views and staff were knowledgeable about people’s preferred communication methods.

• People were supported to pursue their own hobbies and interests.

• People were supported at the end of their life

• The service was well led and managed.

• People and staff were very positive about the management of the service and particularly about recent changes.

• The views of people and staff were actively sought by managers to develop and improve the service for the future.

• The service had links with the local community to enhance the lives of people using the service.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated good. (4 July 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled, planned inspection based on the previous rating.