We carried out a review of the data available to us about PALS Ltd on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about PALS Ltd, you can give feedback on this service.
PALS Ltd provides support and personal care to people with learning disabilities, autism and other needs, in the community. This report refers to the care and support provided to people who received personal care in their own homes. Personal care is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. At the time of the inspection, two people were receiving support with their personal care within their home on an adhoc basis. The service responded flexibly to people’s changing needs and circumstances and had the capacity to provide personal care to other people in their homes, if required.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The registered manager was an inspirational leader. They told us before the inspection, “We actively encourage person centred approaches in all aspects of our service.” Our findings confirmed this was an ethos which ran through the whole organisation. Feedback from people, families, staff and professionals about the service was universally positive.
A key theme throughout the inspection was the cherished relationship between care staff and the whole family of the person they supported. There was an intensive process which matched each person to a small caring staff team who knew them well and had been selected specifically to meet that person’s individual needs and preferences.
Staff were skilled at meeting people’s needs safely, enabling them to be part of their local community. The service provided flexible opportunities for staff to develop their skills, so they were able to meet the needs of the people they supported. People’s health needs were mainly supported by families and other professionals, with staff providing support to enhance their wellbeing.
Senior staff had assessed people’s needs and produced written guidance for care staff. This guidance did not always reflect the person-centred support people received. This did not impact on the safety or on the quality of the support people received due to excellent communication, and the detailed matching and shadowing process. We discussed the quality of care records with the registered manager and they agreed to review their process to ensure staff had the required information, particularly for people with more complex needs.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
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.
There was scope to improve some of the more formal quality checks. However, the commitment and involvement of the senior staff team meant they had a deep understanding of what was happening at the service. The registered manager promoted open communication with people, families, staff and professionals. This created a service which adapted flexibly to people’s needs and in response to feedback.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This is the first inspection for this service. Although the service was registered in 2011, they have not always been providing personal care during this period.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection to check the quality of the service.