Archived: Hackney Community Support

Updated 14 November 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Hackney MHT provides a service to five people with learning disabilities, across two sites in the Hackney area. People are supported in individual flats which are owned by a housing association. 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. This inspection took place on 16 October 2017 and was announced. The provider was given at least 48 hours' notice because the location provides a supported living service for people who are often out during the day. We needed to be sure that someone would be in to assist with the inspection process.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector. Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about this service. This included details of its registration with the Care Quality Commission. We spoke with the local authority commissioning team with responsibility for the service, the local Healthwatch, and the local borough safeguarding team. Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we spoke with three people who are supported in individual flats which are owned by a housing association. We spoke with the registered manager, one senior support worker and two support workers. We also spoke to the housing estate manager where people lived.

We looked at three care files which included people’s support plans and risk assessments, staff duty rosters, three staff files, a range of audits, minutes for various meetings, two medicines records, one finance record, training information, and records of complaints.

Updated 14 November 2017

This inspection took place on 16 October 2017 and was announced. The provider was given at least 48 hours' notice because the location provides a supported living service for people who are often out during the day. We needed to be sure that someone would be in to assist with the inspection process.

Hackney MHT provides a service to five people with learning disabilities, across two sites in the Hackney area. People are supported in individual flats which are owned by a housing association. 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 was previously registered under a different location. This location was last inspected April 2015 and was rated as Good. The new location was registered July 2016. This is the first inspection under the new location.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt the service was safe, staff were kind and the care received was good. We found staff had a good understanding of their responsibility with regard to safeguarding adults.

Risk assessments were in place which provided guidance on how to support people safely. There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff employed by the service. Staff had been recruited safely with appropriate checks on their backgrounds completed. People’s finances were managed safely.

Staff undertook training and received regular supervision to help support them to provide effective care. Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). MCA is legislation protecting people who are unable to make decisions for themselves. We saw people were able to choose what they ate and drank.

Person centred support plans were in place and people were involved in planning the care and support the received.

People had access to a wide variety of activities within the community. People’s cultural and religious needs were respected when planning and delivering care. Discussions with staff members showed that they respected people’s sexual orientation so that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people could feel accepted and welcomed in the service.

The provider had a complaint procedure in place. People knew how to make a complaint.

Staff told us the registered manager was approachable and open. People liked the registered manager and found him helpful. The service had various quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms in place.

Medicines were managed in a safe manner however we made a recommendation on medicines stock recording.