Background to this inspection
Updated
8 April 2020
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by an inspector.
Service and service type
Leeds Learning Disability Community Support East and North East Leeds is a service that supports adults with learning disabilities to live their day to day lives in shared accommodation or their own flats. The registered office is based in Potternewton in Leeds with four sub offices around East and North East Leeds.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection
During the inspection
We spoke with six people to ask about their experience of the care provided and two relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, regional manager, team leaders and seven staff members. We looked at five people's care records and medicine records. We looked at three staff files for recruitment, supervision and appraisal and training records. We also looked at quality monitoring records relating to the management of the service such as audits and quality assurance reports.
Updated
8 April 2020
About the service
Leeds Learning Disability Community Support East and North East Leeds is a service that supports adults with learning disabilities to live their day to day lives in shared accommodation or their own flats. The service provided personal care to 72 people at the time of the inspection.
The service had 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 the service
People using the service were kept safe by staff. Safeguarding processes were in place and being followed to investigate and respond to allegations of abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding systems and knew how to keep people safe. Risk assessments were completed and regularly reviewed to ensure risks were mitigated. Incidents and accidents were monitored, and actions taken to prevent future occurrences. Medicines were managed safely, however storage of medicines did not always follow best practice. Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and recruitment procedures were robust.
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.
Staff were provided with the necessary training to carry out their roles. Staff were supported with regular supervisions and appraisals. Staff practice was monitored through competency and observational checks. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and people were offered choices about what they ate and drank. People were supported by health professionals and staff acted on advice given to improve people’s wellbeing.
People received care from staff who were kind and compassionate. People and staff knew each other well as many staff had worked for the service for a long period of time. People and staff told us they had built positive relationships which helped people to feel supported in their day to day lives. People were encouraged by staff to learn new skills to promote their independence. Staff respected people and their diverse needs.
Care plans were completed, and people were supported to express their views about their care. People were involved in a variety of activities of their choice which supported them to maintain their 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.
The provider used internal and external audit systems to monitor the quality and safety of the care provided. People, their relatives and staff were asked for their views so improvements could be made. The provider had good community links and engaged with other organisations to improve their knowledge of good practice and learn from others. Staff felt the management team were supportive and people felt concerns would be managed effectively.
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 1 August 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.