Response

Updated 6 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 one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes 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 48 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 14 November 2022 and ended on 23 November 2022. We visited the location’s office on 16 November 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 11 June 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection, we spoke with the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records relating to people's care and the way the service was managed. These included care records for 2 people, staff training records, 2 staff recruitment files, quality assurance audits, incidents and accidents reports, complaints records, and records relating to the management of the service. We also contacted the local authorities to obtain their views of the service.

After the inspection

We telephoned 5 people and 2 relatives to seek their feedback about the service. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at quality assurance and records relating to the management of the service. We contacted 3 external health and social care professionals and 16 staff by email to seek their feedback.

Updated 6 January 2023

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

Response provides personal care services primarily to people who are living with, and recovering from, mental health illness. Response also supports people with additional support needs such as people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of our inspection 20 people were receiving personal care from the service. 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 this service and what we found

Right Support: Staff received all of the training they needed to meet people’s needs. Management had effective systems and processes in place to ensure oversight of the safety and quality of the service. People spoke positively about the service they received from Response staff. 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.

Right Care: The model of care maximised people’s choice, control and independence. Care was person-centred and promoted people's dignity, privacy and human rights. Care plans reflected the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were supported by staff who knew them well. Risks to people were identified and where possible reduced. People had access to health care professionals. Medicines were managed safely; and people felt safe receiving support from staff. Appropriate checks were carried out when recruiting new staff to support people.

Right Culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. The service promoted positive care and support for people using the service. Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the management team. People were involved in decision making and their views sought to improve the service.

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 the service at the previous premises was good (published 22 November 2017).

Why we inspected

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

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Response on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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