About with Friends

Updated 19 October 2023

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one 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 is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

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 4 days’ notice of our performance review and assessment. This was because we intended to use remote technology to undertake the assessment and needed to ensure the provider was able to facilitate this type of assessment. This included uploading documents into a secure portal and facilitating calls, and providing support, to people who used the service to enable them to speak with us. The provider also facilitated calls to relatives, staff, and professionals.

Inspection activity started on 22 September 2023 and ended on 06 October 2023.

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. 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 2 people who used the service, 5 relatives and 1 professional. We spoke with 6 staff including the registered manager, HR manager, a trustee for the organisation and support workers. Written feedback was received from an additional 7 staff and 3 professionals. We assessed the care plans, associated records, and medicine administration record (MAR) charts for 2 people. Several governance records were also assessed including staff recruitment records for 3 staff, quality assurance audits, training and supervision records, policies, and procedures.

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used telephone calls and emails to enable us to engage with people using the service, their relatives, professionals, and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. Performance review and assessment activity started on 22 September 2023 and concluded on 06 October 2023 when feedback was given to the registered manager and nominated individual.

Updated 19 October 2023

About the service

About with Friends is a charitable organisation that offers support, activities, guidance, and care to younger adults with a learning disability and/or younger autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 125 people using the service however only 5 were receiving support with personal care in their own homes. 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

The service’s values focused on people being supported to achieve their potential through dedicated and individualised care that met their needs; this was demonstrated throughout this performance review and assessment. People were included in all decisions about their care, and we saw many examples of where the service’s support had helped people achieve better independence and wellbeing. 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.

Right Care

People told us the service people received was exceptionally person-centred and achieved positive outcomes that met their needs. The service was forward-thinking, proactive, and dedicated with a focus on assisting people to be fully engaged members of their local community. Staff were kind, caring, motivational and supportive. People’s dignity was maintained, and they were supported to be who they wanted to be. Feedback was sought from people and this was listened to and acted upon.

Right Culture

The management team were described as supportive, nurturing, and accessible. They and the trustees had a good oversight of the service and systems were in place to monitor the quality of it to aid improvement and sustainability. The registered manager responded positively to the few minor shortfalls identified as part of this performance review and assessment and understood their regulatory responsibilities. Staff told us they worked well together as a team and felt valued. People said they would recommend the service due to its person-centred approach and the skills, values, and abilities of its staff.

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 good (report published on 03 September 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation about the use of ‘as required’ (PRN) medicines.

Follow up

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