Small Opportunities Office

Updated 29 February 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. 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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector over two days.

Service and service type

Small Opportunities is a domiciliary care service, which provides personal care and support services for a range of people living in their own homes. 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 was an announced inspection. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that staff and people would be available to talk to us.

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. 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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke to four members of staff, including the registered manager. We spoke to four people about their experience of the care provided.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at staff rotas and training data. We spoke with two professionals who visit the service, and four relatives of people who use the service.

Updated 29 February 2020

About the service

Small Opportunities provides supported living to people living in the Brighton and Hove area. There were two houses and one two bedroom flat. The service supported ten people at the time of our inspection. The service provided 24-hour support for younger adults with a learning disability. The Care Quality Commission inspects the care and support the service provides but does not inspect the accommodation they live in.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were kept safe from harm, and from the risk of abuse, by trained staff who cared about them. People’s risks were assessed and continuously updated so that staff could look after them safely. Staff supported people to take their medicines safely and the service learned from things that went wrong.

Staff had specific training in people’s particular needs. Staff had infection control training and food hygiene training. People and staff cooked together and made healthy food with a varied menu. 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 caring and friendly. We saw staff and people joking and laughing together. Staff knew people extremely well and tailored their support accordingly. We observed strong relationships between staff and people due to the continuity of staffing and their approach. People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who encouraged them to be as independent as possible.

People’s care was truly personalised. People were encouraged to fulfil their potential and staff took pride in seeing people get jobs and flourish in the community with a strong focus on enabling people to live full lives and make friends. The service acted on complaints and when necessary changed procedures to ensure incidents were not repeated. One person told us, “I like living with my friends and that there is only four of us. I like the food. I like the staff. I get to go out, I work at the local community garden project and make bee and bird houses. I love my life.”

The registered manager was a positive, proactive person who supported staff well. Staff were proud to work for the service and enjoyed spending time with people. One staff member told us, “Everyone has a nice relationship and we are all respectful. The service is well-led and support is always available.”

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

The last rating for this service was Good (published 16 August 2017).

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.