Springs Of Joy Care Solution (SOJ) C.I.C

Not everyone using Springs of Joy Care Solution (SOJ) C.I.C received the regulated activity; personal care. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care, help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they did we also took into account any wider social care provided.

At the last inspection in January 2016 the service was rated overall ‘Good’ with a Requires Improvement rating in the Safe domain. At this inspection, we found improvements had been made in the Safe domain and the service was rated overall ‘Good’. Evidence continued to support the rating of ‘Good’ and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The service had 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.

People told us they felt safe using Springs of Joy Care Solution (SOJ) C.I.C and felt safe with the staff team who provided their care and support. Support workers had received training in the safeguarding of adults and were aware of what to look out for and what to do if they were concerned for anyone.

The needs of the people using the service had been assessed. Risks associated with people’s care and support had been identified and managed and lessons were learned when things went wrong to continually improve the service.

Appropriate checks had been carried out for staff wishing to join the service. Once employed, support workers had been provided with an induction into the service and relevant training had been completed to enable them to appropriately support the people using the service.

People felt there were enough support workers suitably deployed to meet their current care and support needs. Staffing rotas reflected appropriate numbers of support workers were available.

Support workers had received training in the safe management of medicines and where people required support with their medicines, this was provided as directed by their GP and in a safe way.

People were protected by the prevention and control of infection. Appropriate training had been provided and protective equipment such as disposable gloves and aprons were used.

Plans of care had been developed for the people using the service and these included their likes and dislikes and personal preferences. The staff team knew the needs of the people they were supporting well.

People were supported to maintain good health. They were supported to access relevant healthcare services and they received on-going healthcare support. People who required support at mealtimes were supported to have enough to eat and drink to keep them well.

There was an end of life policy in place and this showed the staff team how to provide quality care for people as they approached the end of their life.

The staff team had received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and always obtained people's consent before they provided their care and support. The management team and the support workers we spoke with understood the principles of the MCA.

People told us the staff team were kind and caring. They told us support workers treated them with respect and their dignity was maintained when receiving their care and support.

The staff team felt supported by the provider/registered manager and the management team. They explained they were given the opportunity to meet with them regularly and there was always someone available to talk to if they had any concerns or suggestions of any kind.

People using the service and their relatives and friends had the opportunity to share their views on the service they received. This was through visits to people’s homes and through the use of surveys. The staff team also had an opportunity to share their thoughts of the service. This was through attendance at team meetings and individual supervision meetings with a member of the management team.

The provider/registered manager and the management team monitored the service being provided to make sure people received the safe care and support they required. A business continuity plan was in place for emergencies or untoward events.

The provider/registered manager was aware of their registration responsibilities including notifying CQC of significant incidents that occurred at the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

On the day of our inspection there was a registered manager in place. 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 who used the service had confidence in the staff that supported them and felt safe with them. Staff knew what they could do to help protect people from any risk of harm and there were arrangements in place to help keep people safe. Appropriate checks of staff suitability to work at the service had not always been completed as carefully as they should have.

Detailed care plan assessments had not always been completed in a timely enough way to make sure people’s needs were fully considered, although other steps had been taken to minimise possible risks to people because of this.

Staff had enough time to provide the support people needed, so people were not rushed and they received the assistance they needed, when they needed it. Staff understood how to manage peoples’ medicines safely.

Staff treated the people they supported with kindness and respected their dignity. They understood the needs and preferences of the people they supported and made sure people could make choices about the way that their support was delivered. Staff received training and support to make sure that they had the right skills and knowledge to carry out their roles effectively.

People were supported to make choices and express their preferences. Peoples’ ability to make and communicate decisions was considered but the recording of this was to be improved. The registered manager undertook to strengthen the way the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were taken into account in the assessment and care planning processes.

People were encouraged to make choices about the food they ate and staff understood peoples’ likes and dislikes in relation food and drinks. Daily records were made and reviewed to help keep a record of people’s day to day wellbeing and if any concerns emerged, or a health concern was noted, these were acted on.

People told us that staff supported people in a kind and caring way. They understood people’s needs and got to knew what was important to them.

People, and their relatives, felt their views were listened to. Copies of people’s individual care plans and other useful information, was easily available to them in the care plan folders kept in their homes.

Staff knew what steps to take to help make sure people’s dignity and privacy was protected and, where appropriate, they encouraged them be as independent as possible.

Staff understood the things that were important to people and these were taken into account in the way their support was delivered. People received the support they needed in a reliable way as visits were on time and staff stayed for the time periods that were arranged. People told us they appreciated the continuity of having the same staff support them on a regular basis.

People told us they felt able to raise a complaint, should they need to. They have been provided with information about this and how to report concerns to other organisations.

People spoke positively about the quality of the service they received. They felt able to contact the registered manager about any issues or concerns.

The registered manager, nominated individual and care staff showed they were enthusiastic about their roles and committed to providing a high quality service. The registered manager understood their responsibilities for notifying the CQC of any incidents or concerns.

Satisfaction surveys had been used to help capture the views of people who used the service. Some other quality checks were also taking place but these were not yet being implemented in a consistent way.

There was a framework in place to help monitor the quality of the service and these processes were still developing at the time of our inspection.