Background to this inspection
Updated
18 April 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 26 and 28 February 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the service supported younger adults in their own homes who are often out during the day. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
The inspection was conducted by one inspector.
As part of the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, such as statutory notifications we had received from the provider. Statutory notifications are about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
We reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR). The PIR is a form where we ask the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and what improvements they plan to make.
We also asked the local authority and Healthwatch if they had information to share about the service provided. We used this information to plan the inspection.
During the inspection we met with two people using the service but they were unable to communicate with us verbally, therefore we were not able to gain their views on the support they received. We spoke with five relatives, four care staff, the registered manager and operations manager. We looked at the care and support plans for three people including risk assessments and medicine administration records. We confirmed the safe recruitment of two staff members and looked at records of quality checks completed by the provider.
Updated
18 April 2018
This inspection was carried out on the 26 and 28 February 2018.
This service provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ so that they can live as independently as possible. This comprised of 11 independent flats contained within one building with communal lounges and management offices based at the location. 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.
At the time of our inspection 11 people were receiving support from Voyage (DCA) Scotia House.
There was a registered manager in post who was present during our inspection. 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.
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 9 June 2016 and breaches of legal requirements were found and we rated the service as Requires Improvement overall. After the inspection, the provider wrote to us to say what they would do to meet the legal requirements in relation to Regulation 12, safe care and treatment and Regulation 17, good governance.
We undertook a focused inspection in October 2016 to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. At that inspection we focused on the key questions, is the service safe? And is the service well-led? At that inspection we found that they were meeting the legal requirements but improvements were still required in these two key areas.
At that time these topic areas were included under the key questions of safe, responsive and well-led. We reviewed and refined our assessment framework and published the new assessment framework commencing from 1 November 2017. Under the new framework these topic areas are included under the key questions of safe, effective, responsive and well-led. Therefore, for this inspection, we have inspected these key questions and also the previous key question to make sure all areas are inspected to validate the ratings.
At this inspection we found that improvements had been made and we rated the service Good.
People were safe as staff had been trained and understood how to support people in a way that protected them from danger, harm and abuse. People were supported by enough staff to safely assist them. People received help with their medicines from staff who were trained to safely support them. When errors occurred the provider had systems in place to investigate and take action to minimise the risks to people.
The provider followed infection prevention and control guidance. The provider undertook regular checks on equipment that people used to ensure it was safe and well maintained. The provider completed pre-employment checks on staff before they started work to ensure they were safe to work with people. The provider had systems in place to address any unsafe staff practice.
People received care from staff members that had the skills and knowledge to support them and to meet their needs. New staff members received an induction to their role and were equipped with the skills they needed to work with people. Staff attended training that was relevant to those they supported and any additional training needed to meet people’s requirements was provided.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice
Staff received support and guidance from a management team who they found approachable, knowledgeable and supportive. People, relatives and staff felt able to express their views and felt their opinions mattered.
People had positive relationships with staff members who knew their individual likes and dislikes and who assisted them in a way which was personal to them. Where possible people were involved in decisions about their care and had information they needed in a way they understood.
People had their privacy and dignity respected and information personal to them was treated confidentially. People had access to healthcare when needed and staff responded to any changes in needs promptly and consistently. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to maintain good health.
The provider had regular contact with those they supported to gain feedback in the service they provided and to make changes where necessary. People and relatives felt confident they were listened to and their views were valued. The provider had effective quality monitoring systems in place to identify and drive improvements to the service they provided.