We carried out a review of the data available to us about Supporting Independence - Findon 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 Supporting Independence - Findon, you can give feedback on this service.
Supporting Independence provides personal care and support to people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs living in 'Supported Living' accommodation. 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.
Staff provided support to 13 people across two locations. There were three people who were receiving the regulated activity of personal care, this was across both settings, Ivy Cottage in Findon and Mortimer House in Littlehampton. The service also supported two people with outreach support in their own homes, they did not receive the regulated activity of personal care so have not been included within this report.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they were happy living at Ivy Cottage and Mortimer House. All the people we spoke with during the inspection said they were treated well by staff who were kind and caring and supported them to be independent to achieve their goals.
People told us they felt safe with regards to their daily living and also with the Covid-19 pandemic. People told us that staff had supported them to understand the risks around Covid-19 and how they can make sure they stay safe when out, now that some restrictions have been lifted by the government.
Overall risk had been managed appropriately for people and risk assessments in place around each person’s identified needs. We did find a concern with the assessment process for one person who moved into the service during the Covid-19 pandemic. We found that communication had slipped between the provider and external services to ensure the placement was fully risk assessed and appropriate for the person. The registered manager was open and honest about this process and stated lessons had been learnt from it to ensure future placements are fully assessed prior to commencing. We did not find any concern with the other pre assessments for people prior to living at the services.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control over 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.
People were observed to have positive and supportive interactions with staff. The atmosphere at both Ivy Cottage and Mortimer house was happy with people smiling and laughing with staff. People seemed to have developed good positive relationships with staff and people did not appear to be cautious or uneasy in the presence of staff including managers.
People could access healthcare professional involvement when needed. Where people had accidents and incidents staff responded to these and the registered manager and management team reviewed all incidents to identify any triggers or causes to help reduce reoccurrence. Staff told us they felt they received good feedback in relation to incidents and could discuss how to assess and monitor risk.
Staff said they were happy working for the provider. Staff did indicate there had been some confusion with regards to the management changes across the service, but this had improved recently, and staff gave glowing feedback for the new managers who had been recruited to join the team.
The registered manager had made improvements towards developing a positive culture within the service. Staff reported a change in atmosphere since these had been implemented which included recruiting new staff and making the management structure clearer to staff. The registered manager was open and honest about where things had gone wrong. They acknowledged there had been a period of unsettlement during Covid-19 and new staff and management changes but felt things had improved, which was supported by the staff we spoke to during the inspection.
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
The last rating for this service was Good (report published 16 July 2019).
Why we inspected
We undertook a focused inspection due to concerns we received relating to incidents of alleged abuse, restrictive practice, staffing culture and management oversight at the service. This report only covers findings in relation to care which people received, safe care and treatment, safeguarding people from abuse, and management of the service. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
The overall rating for the service has not changed following this focused inspection and remains Good.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the Safe and Well-Led sections of this full report.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Supporting Independence provides personal care and support to people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs living in ‘Supported Living’ accommodation. 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.
Supporting Independence office is in Findon Village. Staff provided support to 11 people who were receiving the regulated activity of personal care, across four separate settings in Littlehampton and Findon.
Mortimer House in Littlehampton provided support to three people living in individual flats within one building. There was a separate flat which was used as a communal hub for all tenants and also provided facilities for staff including a sleep- in room for overnight support.
Ivy Cottage in Findon provided support to six people. Three people were living in a shared cottage and three people were living in individual flats next door. Staff provided sleep-in support from the cottage. There was large wooden chalet in the garden used as a communal hub and stables for Shetland ponies.
Two people received support in their own homes in the local area.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found.
There were high levels of satisfaction amongst people and relatives who used the service. Everyone we spoke with said they would recommend the service to others. People repeatedly told us that staff had made a difference in their lives and said that staff routinely went above and beyond to ensure people were happy and safe.
People told us that they felt safe. One person said “There is always staff here, even at night. That makes me feel very safe”. Risks to people had been identified and assessed. There was a flexible approach to risk management which promoted people’s independence and provided opportunities for new experiences. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control over 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. Staff completed a range of training and had the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and support
People and their relatives spoke positively about staff and the care they received. We were repeatedly told by people and relatives that Supporting Independence continued to be very caring. Staff were motivated to make a difference and cared for people in a way that exceeded expectations.
People were treated with dignity and compassion by a kind, caring staff and management team who understood people's individual needs, choices and preferences well. One person said, “I love it here, I wouldn’t change it for the world”.
Care was personalised to meet people’s care, social and well-being needs. Care plans provided detailed information and guidance for staff. Staff knew people well and provided support in line with people’s preferences. People’s diverse needs were catered for and they were treated with dignity and respect. People were supported with community connections through voluntary employment and activities.
The culture of the service was positive, and people and staff were complementary of the management. One staff said “I feel valued by the manager. She is good at giving praise and saying well done, and that’s very important to me”. Systems and process were in place to monitor the quality of the service being delivered. People and staff told us that they felt supported and valued.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support 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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection.
The last rating for this service was Good. (published 29 September 2016)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner
Supporting Independence Findon is a supported living service providing care to people in their own homes in Littlehampton and Findon and surrounding areas in West Sussex. At the time of our visit, they were supporting 15 people with personal care. Supporting Independence Findon has a registered office in Findon village, where records are kept, and a further two office ‘hubs’ which are the base and meeting place for two separate staff teams, managed by two different managers. Mortimer House staff team in Littlehampton supports nine people with predominantly mental health needs who live in their own flats. Ivy Cottage staff team in Findon supports six people, three people who live in a shared house and three people in self-contained flats. People supported by Ivy cottage staff have learning disabilities, autism and other complex needs.
The service had a registered manager in post who is also the registered provider and had started the service in 2004. 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.
People told us Supporting Independence provided a safe service. Staff understood local safeguarding procedures. They were able to speak about what action they would take if they had a concern or felt a person was at risk of abuse. Risks to people had been identified and assessed and information was provided to staff on how to care for people safely and mitigate any risks.
People and relatives spoke positively about the support they received from the service and records reflected there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. The service followed safe recruitment practices. People’s medicines were managed safely.
Staff felt confident with the support and guidance they had been given during their induction and subsequent training. Staff also told us they were satisfied with the level of support that they were given from the management team. Supervisions and appraisals were consistently carried out for all staff supporting people.
People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and to be involved with determining the care they received. Staff understood the requirements under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and about people’s capacity to make decisions. Some people received support with food and drink and they made positive comments about staff and the way they met this need.
Staff spoke kindly and respectfully to people, involving them with the care provided. Staff had developed meaningful relationships with people they supported. Staff knew people well and had a caring approach. People were treated with dignity and respect.
People received personalised care. Each person was involved with their own care plan, supported by keyworkers and managers. Care plans reflected information relevant to each individual and their abilities including people’s communication and health needs. They provided clear guidance to staff on how to meet people’s individual needs.
Staff were vigilant to changes in people’s health needs and their support was reviewed when required. If people required input from other health and social care professionals, this was arranged. Staff often supported people with their healthcare appointments.
People’s views about the quality of the service were obtained informally through discussions with the registered manager and formally through satisfaction surveys. Relatives were also asked for their feedback and this was positive. Two people who used the service had been given specific roles assessing the quality of the care provided they were called 'quality checkers'.
A range of audit processes overseen by the registered manager were in place to measure the overall quality of the service provided.
During the inspection we found the registered manager open to feedback. Both the registered manager and service manager had received specialist training. They shared what they had learnt with the staff team.
People, relatives and staff told us how the management team which included the registered manager, care manager and assistant manager, were supportive, open and approachable and quick to respond to any requests.
We visited a supported living service where we observed people being treated with respect and kindness.
We looked through people's care records and found that comprehensive assessments and care plans were in place and signed. The people who use the service told us they understood their care plans and gave us examples of their day's activities.
We saw evidence that carers were actively involved in their relative's care.
We found a wide range of medication management policies and procedures in place to ensure medication was stored and administered in a safe and effective manner. We looked in staff records which showed us that all staff were trained in medication management.
We found that when recruiting staff, the provider had policies and procedures in place to ensure potential staff have the necessary skills and experience to fulfil the requirements of their role. We found that all staff had received an induction programme and relevant training. We also found evidence to show how performance issues were identified and resolved. All staff we spoke to told us they were happy working for Supporting Independence and felt well supported.
We found that people were happy with the service and felt the staff supported them well. Relatives spoke of how much people had improved since moving to Ivy Cottage and having the care and support from the service. One relative fed back that since moving to Ivy Cottage the person has been 'So happy, more content, assured and of a happy disposition.'
We found that people's care had been assessed and there was clear guidance for staff about how to best support people. People's care needs and risks were documented and planned to ensure their care was adequate and safe. We found that people and their relatives were involved in their care planning and their wishes were respected. People were treated with kindness, respect and dignity and consulted in their care needs and preferences.
Staff had access to training and supervision to maintain their knowledge and skills, which ensured they provided safe and appropriate care to people. There were systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care offered.