Swindon Family Breaks Service

Updated 21 February 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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector 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 a number of ‘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.

Swindon Family Breaks Service is also a ‘care home’ providing a respite service. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Swindon Family Breaks Service is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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 was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be available to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 2 February 2023 and ended on 6 February 2023. We visited the registered location on 2 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last 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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people who used the service and gathered feedback from 4 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 8 members of staff including the registered manager, service manager, domestic assistant, business support lead, senior lead and 3 support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included a sample of 4 people's care records, a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including a review of some policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at policy and quality assurance records.

Updated 21 February 2023

About the service

Swindon Family Breaks Service provides short break services to people with learning disabilities, and supported living to people in specially designed bungalows and people's own accommodation in Swindon. The short break service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 14 people. There were 2 people using the short break service and 7 people using the supported living service at the time of our inspection.

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

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.

Right Support: People’s care and support was provided in a well-maintained environment. At the time of our inspection refurbishment work was taking place. The provider had ensured this work did not impact on the safe running of the service.

People were supported to take part in activities and interests. The registered manager was exploring more resources in people’s local area to widen the range of activities available.

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.

People were supported to take their medicines in accordance with their individual needs and preferences.

Right Care: People were able to communicate with staff and understand information given to them by staff who supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs.

Right Culture: The registered manager and senior staff modelled good practice and led by example. People received good quality care, support and treatment from trained staff who were able to meet their needs.

The registered manager regularly evaluated the quality of support given, involving the person, their families and other professionals as appropriate.

Quality assurance processes included a variety of audits. The systems had been strengthened and the registered manager had a clear oversight of the service and how to sustain and develop ongoing improvement.

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 requires improvement (31 August 2022).

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.

At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 12, safe care and treatment.

At our last inspection we recommended the provider introduced appropriate systems of escalating internal and external safeguarding concerns and ensured all staff were aware of those processes. At this inspection we found the provider had made improvements.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced inspection of this service on 7 July 2022. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Swindon Family Breaks Service on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.