11 May 2023
During a routine inspection
Independence with Dignity Support Services is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care for to up to 25 people in their own homes. The service provides support to older people, young adults, autistic people, people with dementia, sensory impairments, learning disability or physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 4 people 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.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support:
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.
The registered manager told us their primary aim was to support people to achieve and maintain their independence with dignity. People were observed to be confident and relaxed in approaching and interacting with staff, and they felt comfortable and safe in their environment. People, their relatives and staff spoke positively about the service and the care provided.
The service had effective systems in place to ensure people's safety. People and their relatives told us they felt safe using the service. People received comprehensive assessments of their needs prior to commencement of care with the service. Recruitment processes ensured suitability of staff for their roles and the service had enough staff to meet people's needs.
Right Care:
People received care from staff who were familiar to them and knew them well. Staff engaged well with people, their relatives and external agencies involved in their care to ensure the best outcomes for people.
Right Culture:
The registered manager inspired confidence in the staff team and led by example. The registered manager worked closely with staff and people, ensuring close oversight of the service and any issues that arose. She understood her responsibilities to inform people or their representatives when necessary, and the service fostered a culture of openness and transparency where everyone involved felt valued, involved in decision making and listened to.
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
This service was registered with us on 1 March 2022 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned comprehensive inspection as a newly registered service. This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.