Registered Office

Updated 23 August 2023

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls and visits to their home to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 1 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 provides care and support to people living in ‘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 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 19 July 2023 and ended on 3 August 2023. We visited the service on 19 July 2023 and 27 July 2023.

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 all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 2 people who used the service and 1 relative about their experience of the care provided.

We spoke with 7 members of staff including the registered manager, managers and support workers. We spoke with 5 professionals. We reviewed a range of records. This included 2 people's care records and medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.

Updated 23 August 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

About the service

Registered office is supported living service providing personal care to 2 people at the time of the inspection.

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

Care plans focused on people's strengths and building people's goals and long-term aspirations.

Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence and achieved the best possible health outcome.

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 supported people to play an active role in maintaining their own health and wellbeing and enabled people to access specialist health and social care support in the community.

Right Care

The provider ensured staff met the government guidance when adhering to safe infection prevention control practices.

The provider made sure that there was enough skilled staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe, as well as ensuring their met best practice guidance.

Staff had training specifically for understanding the needs of people with a learning disability and autism and this was something that the provider planned to continue developing.

Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with agencies to do so.

Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.

Right Culture

Professionals spoke highly about the responsiveness of staff, and the responsiveness of the management team.

Staff felt supported and the management team were always available. The registered manager had a good understanding of their responsibilities towards people they supported and had passion in delivering person centred care.

The provider had quality assurance systems in place, which ensured they were capturing the good practices as well as where improvements were needed.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (Published 15 April 2021)

Why we inspected

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

Follow up

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