Archived: Excel Support Services Limited - South East

Updated 5 May 2016

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 22 and 23 March 2016 and was announced. The provider was given notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to be sure that the staff would be available in the office to assist with the inspection.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service. We sent a questionnaire to 47 people who use the service, 27 staff, 47 relatives and friends and 27 community professionals. We received responses form 15 people who use the service, nine staff, two relatives and two community professionals.

We looked at all the information we have collected about the service. This included notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

During the inspection visits we spoke with 16 people who use the service, the registered manager and deputy manager. After the day of the inspection we received information from five staff members. We contacted 14 local authority and other professionals and received written responses from two.

We looked at a sample of records relating to individual’s care and the overall management of the service. These included eight people’s care plans, a selection of policies and a sample of staff recruitment files and training records. The registered manager sent us further information, to show the impact their service has on people who use it, after the inspection visit.

Updated 5 May 2016

This inspection took place on 22 and 23 March 2016 and was announced.

Excel Support Services Limited - South East offers a supported living service to people with learning and other difficulties which impact on their ability to live independently. The service assists people to live in their own homes with their own tenancies. It aims to support and encourage people to become as independent as possible, with only as much intervention from care staff as is necessary. The service, currently, supports 77 people in 51 premises.

The service is required to have a registered manager. 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. There is a registered manager running the service.

The service fully understood how to keep people, staff and others safe and was exceptional in that it positively supported people to learn how to keep themselves safe. The provider had a number of very effective ways to ensure the general and individual safety of people, staff and others. People were protected by staff who had received the appropriate training and received training themselves so everyone knew how to recognise and deal with any form of abuse. Staff had been safely recruited and were suitable to provide people with safe care. People were supported, by well trained staff, to take their medicines safely. All significant risks were identified and managed to keep people and staff as safe as possible.

People’s rights were protected by staff who understood the Mental Capacity Act (2005). The Mental Capacity Act 2005 legislation provides a legal framework that sets out how to act to support people who do not have capacity to make a specific decision. Care staff understood the importance of gaining people’s consent and knew how to help them make decisions for themselves. People’s capacity to make decisions was recorded, if appropriate, and relevant paperwork was included in care plans.

People needs were met by a well-trained, committed staff team who were exceptional at equipping people to attain as much independence as possible. They very positively supported people to gain knowledge and communication skills so they could express themselves more fully and understand relevant issues. The service was very good at making people feel they were involved and at building their confidence. People’s diversity was recognised and they were treated with respect and dignity at all times.

People were supported to be part of the community and experienced a wide range of activities, including attending work and college.

The service was well managed by a registered manager and management team who were generally described as open and supportive, although this view was not held by all staff. The service had a number of ways to made sure that they continually monitored and assessed the quality of care they offered. Any shortfalls or improvements needed were identified and acted upon.