Background to this inspection
Updated
20 February 2019
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 21 December 2018 and 4 January 2019. The inspection was announced. One inspector carried out the inspection.
Inspection site visit activity took place on 21 December 2018. It included a visit to the provider’s office to speak with the registered manager, director and three care staff, and to review care records and policies and procedures. We met and spoke with four people who used the service. On 4 January 2019, we reviewed additional evidence provided by the registered manager, and contacted four family members. We also spoke with two social care professionals.
Before we visited the service we checked the information we held about this location and the service provider, for example, inspection history, statutory notifications and complaints. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to CQC by law. We contacted professionals involved in caring for people who used the service, including commissioners and safeguarding staff. We also contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is the local consumer champion for health and social care services. They give consumers a voice by collecting their views, concerns and compliments through their engagement work. Information provided by these professionals was used to inform the inspection.
We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. 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.
Updated
20 February 2019
This inspection took place on 21 December 2018 and 4 January 2019. The inspection was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice to ensure someone would be available to speak with and show us records.
This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. Some of the people supported were living at home with their families. On the days of the inspection there were 29 people using the service.
At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good overall however the Responsive key question had improved to outstanding. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
The service was extremely person-centred. Person-centred means ensuring the person is at the centre of any care or support and their individual wishes, needs and choices were considered.
The service went the extra-mile for the people they supported and was extremely responsive to people’s changing needs. People were protected from social isolation and had become an integral part of the local community.
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.
Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and investigated. Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service and described potential risks and the safeguards in place to mitigate these risks. The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.
Appropriate arrangements were in place for the safe administration of medicines.
The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant vetting checks when they employed staff. Staff were supported in their role via appropriate training and regular supervisions.
People were supported with their dietary needs. Care records contained evidence of people being supported during visits to and from external health care specialists.
People and family members were complimentary about the standard of care provided by IntegraCare (Supported Living). People were given information in a way they could understand. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.
People and family members were aware of how to make a complaint. The provider had a robust quality assurance process in place. People, family members, staff and visiting professionals were regularly consulted about the quality of the service.