31 Westleigh Road

Updated 13 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 1 inspector.

Service and service type

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.

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 the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 7 December 2022 and ended on 13 December 2022. We visited the location on 7 December 2022.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We sought feedback from professionals who work with the service.

During the inspection

We spoke 1 person about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager, a senior support worker and 3 support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 1 person’s care records. We looked at 2 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed, including quality monitoring, minutes of meetings, and the staff training and supervision matrix.

Updated 13 January 2023

About the service

31 Westleigh Road is a supported living service that provides personal care and support to younger adults with mental health conditions living in shared communal accommodation. At the time of this inspection the service was providing personal care to 1 person.

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

Improvements were needed in the recruitment of staff to ensure practices were consistent with the provider’s recruitment policy. People were encouraged to be involved in staff recruitment; however their involvement was not always recorded.

Fire drills had not taken place. People did have a personal emergency evacuation plan.

People received the support they required with their medicines. However records for monitoring the quantity of medicines on site, and guidance to support staff for supporting people with medicines to be taken as and when needed required improvement.

Systems and processes were in place to support people’s safety. People were involved in assessments of their needs which included potential risk. People spoke with us about potential risks, and of staff’s role in supporting them. People’s comments were consistent with the information detailed within their care records. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Staff worked consistently within the provider’s policy and procedure for infection prevention and control.

Assessments of need were undertaken to determine if the service was appropriate for each person. People were encouraged to visit the service and meet with those already in residence to enable them to make an informed decision as to whether the service would be suitable to them.

People were supported by staff who had the necessary skills. People were supported by and had access to a range of health and social care professionals. People were encouraged and supported to undertake grocery shopping and prepare and cook their meals within the shared kitchen, and in some instances within their own kitchenette.

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. Staff had a good understanding of the importance of enabling and encouraging people to make informed decisions about their care.

People were supported by staff who were kind and caring and who had a good understanding of the needs of people, and their role in providing support. A person spoke positively about their relationships with staff and how they supported them with their wellbeing.

People were involved in the development and reviewing of their support plans. People were encouraged and supported to maintain relationships and to access resources in their local community. People’s concerns were listened to and action taken in response.

People and staff spoke positively of the registered manager, including the support they provided. Systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were in place, which included meetings with all those involved in the delivery and monitoring of care. People’s views and those of staff were sought through questionnaires. The registered manager was receptive to ideas and ensuring the continuous improvement of 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

This service was registered with us on 4 January 2022 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up

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