Unique Support Solutions

Updated 19 January 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by an inspector.

Service and service type

The service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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 registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 12 December 2022 and ended on 20 December 2022. We visited the location's office on 14 December 2022.

What we did before the 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. We reviewed information we had received about the service, such as details about incidents the provider must notify CQC about, for example incidents of abuse. We reviewed all other information sent to us from stakeholders such as the local authority and members of the public. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 1 person and 1 relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 5 staff members, including the registered manager. We spoke with 1 external professional. We looked at 1 care record, 1 medicine record and 2 staff files regarding recruitment. We also looked at quality monitoring records relating to the management of the service, such as audits and policies.

Updated 19 January 2023

Unique support solutions are a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of our inspection, 1 person was receiving regulated activity. 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.

People's experience of using the 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.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support

People were supported in having choice and control over aspects of their lives. Staff provided care in line with people’s best interests. Risks to people were recognised, assessed and managed safely. Systems in place protected people from abuse and improper treatment. People's needs were always assessed to consider what they wanted and needed.

Right Care

Staff offered people choice and involvement when supporting with activities or meals. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported and had established good rapport and therapeutic relationships.

Right culture

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured all people using the service could lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. People were supported to regularly identify, or review, on-going individual aspirations and life goals. Management supported staff in improving practice.

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 26 May 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.