Link Support

Updated 12 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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and specialist housing. This service also provides care and support to people living in 10 ‘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.

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

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 in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 7 January 2020 and ended on 10 January 2020. We visited the office location on 7 and 8 January 2020.

What we did before 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. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who use the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with nine members of staff including the registered manager, the operations manager, two service managers, the training and development officer, the administrator and three support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. These included four people’s care plans and associated daily and medical records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff training, supervision and appraisal logs. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We received feedback from six relatives, five health and social care professionals and 10 members of staff.

Updated 12 February 2020

Link Support is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. The service provides personal care to people with a range of needs including people with a learning disability and/or who are on the autistic spectrum, people with mental health needs and people living with a sensory and/or physical disability.

Not everyone who uses the service receives personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. At the time of this inspection the service was supporting 21 people. Eighteen people lived in 10 supported living houses, one person lived in their own flat in sheltered accommodation and two people lived with family members.

Where applicable, the service has 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’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were treated with great care and kindness. Staff demonstrated a strong empathy for people supported by the service and were skilled in supporting people to identify and work towards life goals. Staff used innovative ways to help people manage and reduce their anxieties, leading to people gaining in confidence and being able to enjoy their lives more. People were treated with utmost respect and staff worked tirelessly to ensure their dignity was upheld. This was confirmed by people we spoke with and relatives who provided feedback. One relative commented, "They are just brilliant. They would do absolutely anything for [family member's name]."

People received truly person-centred support which promoted excellent outcomes for them and included supporting their independence and control over their lives. People received care and support that was personalised to meet their individual needs. Staff worked extremely well together for the benefit of people and the ethos of the service focused on the needs of the people and their wellbeing. One community professional commented, "I have worked with Link Support for many years and have always found them to be very professional and conscientious in their approach, while maintaining the individual at the heart of the service they give."

People were able to enjoy a number of activities, based on their likes and preferences. Staff continually looked for ways to improve and enhance people's lives by exploring new activities and employment they could participate in. The service was particularly successful in helping people re-build and maintain relationships with family members and others important to them.

The outcomes for people using the service who had a learning disability and/or autism reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support. The service and staff strongly promoted 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 whole ethos and values of the service were designed, and were successful, in making sure people were supported to live a full and meaningful life.

People were protected from the risks of abuse and said they felt safe with the staff providing their support and care. Risks to people’s personal safety had been assessed and plans were in place to minimise those risks. Staff recruitment and staffing levels supported people to stay safe while working towards their goals and going about their lives.

People received effective care and support from staff who knew them well and were well trained. People received effective health care and support. Medicines were handled correctly and safely. People's rights to make their own decisions were protected. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People benefitted from staff who were happy in their work and felt well managed and supported. People benefitted from a service which had an open and inclusive culture and encouraged suggestions and ideas for improvement from people who use the service, their relatives and staff. The quality assurance systems were successful in ensuring the high quality of the service was maintained.

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 20 June 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.