Dimensions London North/West Domiciliary Care Office

Updated 4 March 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by 2 inspectors 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 11 ‘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 were 3 registered managers in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection as wanted to make sure a registered manager would in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 20 December 2022 and ended on 31 January 2023. We visited the location’s office and a supported living scheme on 21 December 2022.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed information we had received about the service since the service was registered with us. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service, 8 relatives and 3 staff. We also spoke with the 3 registered managers, a performance manager and an operations director. We reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service including quality assurance, complaints and monitoring records. We looked at 4 people’s medicines support records and care and risk management plans. After our visits we spoke with 3 professionals who have worked with the service recently. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 4 March 2023

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.

About the service

Dimensions London North/West Domiciliary Care Office provides supported living services to people with a learning disability or autism and people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection the provider operated 11 of these services, based in the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Brent. 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

People were supported by staff to pursue their interests. Staff supported people to achieve their aspirations and goals. The service worked with people to plan for when they experienced periods of distress and to support them safely at such times. Staff supported people with their medicines safely. People were supported to meet their health needs and staff worked with other agencies to do so. There were infection prevention and control arrangements in place. 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.

Right Care

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff had training on how to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns. The service worked with other agencies to do so. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Staff received an induction, training and supervision to help them support people. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff knew and understood people and responded to their individual needs. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs. People's support plans reflected their preferences and needs to promote their wellbeing and enjoyment of life.

Right Culture

The provider operated monitoring processes to ensure people consistently received good quality care and support. Whilst some care records were not always consistently clear or detailed enough, this did not impact on the quality of care provided. We discussed this with the registered managers so they could make the necessary improvements. People and those important to them were involved in planning their care. Staff turnover was low, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well. Staff and managers knew and understood people well and were responsive to their support needs and aspirations. The provider had a clear vision for the service based on improving people's quality of life and staff worked to make this happen.

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 5 October 2021 and this is the first inspection.

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.