Background to this inspection
Updated
19 August 2022
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
One inspector carried out the inspection.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in six ‘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 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. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. The registered manager was also the nominated individual. They told us they would be submitting an application to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to deregister as the registered manager. This was because a new manager had been appointed and would be applying to CQC to become the new registered manager.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service a few days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 18 July 2022 and ended on 5 August 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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 used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We visited the providers office on the 21 July 2022 and spoke with the nominated individual who is also the registered manager. We also spoke with the new manager who will be applying to become the registered manager.
We visited two houses on 27 July 2022 to speak with people living there and staff supporting them to ask their views about the service. We spoke with four people using the service. We also spoke with five members of staff. On the 8 August 2022 we fed back our findings to the registered manager on a virtual call.
We reviewed a range of records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the care and support provided; two staff files in relation to recruitment; staff training matrix; various policies and procedures and audits relating to the quality and safety of the service to ensure people received safe care and support specific to their individual needs.
We contacted 28 staff and 14 health care professionals by email to ask their views about the service. We received a response from nine staff and four health and social care professionals.
Updated
19 August 2022
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
Covenant Care Supported Living Service provides care and support to people living in six supported living houses across Somerset and Devon, so that they can live as independently as possible. 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. There were currently eight people receiving personal care at the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right support: Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and Independence;
People felt safe and supported by staff in their homes. A person commented, “I am very happy here, I am definitely safe.”
Staff demonstrated an understanding of what might constitute abuse and knew how to report any concerns they might have. Medicines were safely managed, and good infection control measures were in place.
People’s individual risks were identified, and risk assessment reviews were carried out to identify ways to keep people safe.
There were enough staff to support people and there were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place.
Support plans reflected people’s health and social care needs. People’s views and suggestions were taken into account to improve the service.
People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.
Right care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights;
Staff relationships with people were supportive and genuine. Staff spoke confidently about people’s specific needs and how they liked to be supported. Through our conversations with staff it was clear they were very committed, kind and compassionate towards people they supported.
Health and social care professionals praised the service. Comments included, “Staff actively engaged the service user in his health care, prompting him to answer questions independently, and also clarified information for him if the service user appeared not to have understood.”
Right culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.
The provider had clear care values, these included, compassion and empathy, respect, integrity and vision. Throughout our inspection we saw that staff worked with these values.
New staff completed an induction program which included undertaking shadow shifts. All staff had received relevant training to support people safely. Staff confirmed that they were supported in their roles and received supervisions and appraisals. A staff member commented, " All the management are approachable and have helped with inside and outside matters. Whenever I have raised any concerns, they have always been quick acting.”
Staff spoke positively about communication and how the registered manager and manager worked well with them. Staff comments included, “(registered manager) is great, (manager) is having a good impact in the company supporting staff."
A number of methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received. The service made continuous improvements in response to their findings.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 6 April 2021 and this is their first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was carried out due to the length of time the provider had been registered with CQC without receiving a formal rating.
We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
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.