North East

Updated 18 March 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

This inspection was carried out by an inspector and an Expert by Experiences. 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 provides care and support to people living in a number of 'supported living' settings, 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.

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 large 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 21 February 2023 and ended on 16 March 2023. We visited the office and some people in their homes on 22 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed all the information we held about 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 contacted the local authority for their feedback and used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we visited and spoke with 8 people in their homes and spoke with 2 relatives who were visiting their family member. At our visits we spoke with 9 staff including, the registered manager, service managers, support staff and members of the provider’s quality assurance team. We checked a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff records. We requested additional evidence to be sent to us. This included staffing and training information, and provider quality assurance records. We also spoke with 1 person and 7 family members by phone, to gain their views of the service.

Updated 18 March 2023

About the service

North East is a supported living service registered to provide personal care for younger and older adults with learning disabilities, and/or autistic people. At the time of our inspection 17 people were using 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

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.

Right Support: People’s needs were assessed, and care plans were developed with the input of people and their relatives. People were protected from the risk of harm because robust safeguarding processes were in place. Risks to people’s safety were considered and people were supported to understand how they could keep themselves safe. People were supported to develop their independent living skills. People were happy with the care and support they received. 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: People were supported by staff that knew them well and who were committed to providing person centred care. People were supported to lead active lifestyles of their choosing. People’s wellbeing was promoted, and their rights protected. People's communication needs were assessed, and people were supported to use various communication tools to assist in their engagement with others. People received good quality care, support and treatment because trained staff could meet their needs and wishes. People were supported to maintain good health, were supported with their medicines and had accessed healthcare services when needed.

Right Culture: Staff demonstrated their commitment to the values of the service that put people at the centre of the care and support provided. There was an open and inclusive culture where people and staff were valued, and their views sought to help drive improvements. People felt consulted and involved in the running of the service because the care team listened and responded to people's views. The management team worked together to oversee the care people received and carried out regular audits to make sure the service was safe and best practice was promoted throughout. The service worked effectively with community health and social care professionals to ensure people's needs were met.

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 19 November 2021 and this was the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was the first inspection of a newly registered service.

Follow up

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