05 and 07 January 2015
During a routine inspection
We undertook an announced inspection of Options on 5 and 7 January 2015. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming. This was to ensure staff were available in the office to see us. Options provides personal care services to people in their own homes, specifically people who have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection 13 people were receiving support with personal care. Options also provide social support to around 90 people in the community.
At our last inspection in December 2013 the service was meeting the regulations inspected.
The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
There were systems in place to help keep people safe from unnecessary risks to their safety and wellbeing. There were enough staff to ensure people’s needs were met in a flexible way.
Staff were provided with regular training and understood what their roles and responsibilities were. The staff team had the right skills and experience to effectively assist people with their care and support needs.
The staff understood about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and its impact on people they supported. They knew that this meant people had the right to make decisions about their care. They also understood that it meant people were to be properly supported and their rights protected when they were not able to give consent .
Staff supported people to meet their healthcare needs. Staff assisted people to go to GP appointments and to see other healthcare professionals when it was required.
People were consulted and involved in planning how their needs were met. They were supported by staff who were kind and caring in their approach. One person told us “ I get on brilliantly with the staff they have helped me a lot ”.
Where it was an identified need for people, they were supported to plan and cook a healthy and nutritious diet.
Recruitment and staff selection procedures were in place which helped minimise the risk of unsuitable staff being employed to work with people.
Staff felt supported by the registered manager and the office based manager who managed the staff team. There was an open and accessible management culture for people who used the services and the staff.
The registered manager carried out regular reviews with people to find out directly what they felt about the quality of the service provided. For example one person changed to a different member of staff supporting them based on the feedback they gave the manager.