Humbercare Ltd Grimsby Office

Updated 6 September 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.

Inspection team

The 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 their own homes 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.

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 in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 24 July 2023 and ended on 25 July 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We visited 2 addresses and met with 4 people who used the service to get their feedback about the care provided. Where people were unable to talk with us, we used observation to help us understand their experience of using the service. We also met with 5 staff including, care staff, registered manager, assistant head of services and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people's care records and numerous medication records. We looked at 3 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 also reviewed.

After the inspection

Following our visit, we spoke by telephone with 2 people who use the service and 2 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 6 September 2023

About the service

Humbercare Ltd Grimsby Office is a supported living service. It provides care and support to people with a learning disability or who are autistic, living in a 'supported living' setting, so they can live as independently as possible.

Not everyone who uses the service receives personal care. CQC only inspects the service being received by people who are provided with the regulated activity of 'personal care'. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing personal care to 9 people with a learning disability and autistic people.

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.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting underpinning principles of 'Right support, right care, right culture'.

Right Support

Staff received training they needed to meet people's needs. Management had effective systems and processes in place to ensure oversight of the safety and quality of the service. 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.

We observed people were comfortable in the company of the staff who supported them; interactions were positive and meaningful. People were encouraged and supported to be independent and to engage in tailored activities and pursue interests that were important to them. Staff spoke knowledgeably about how they ensured people received care that met their diverse needs, including protected characteristics.

Right Care

Care and support were provided according to people's individual needs and wishes. Staff ensured people's privacy and dignity were respected. People felt safe with staff and enjoyed spending time with staff who they knew well. Staff had a good understanding of people's care needs and ensured care and support was personalised.

Risk assessments provided up to date guidance and information for staff. They gave information for how staff could ensure people made informed choices and lived their lives.

Robust recruitment practices were followed. Appropriate checks were completed to ensure only suitable staff were employed. There was an ongoing process of staff recruitment to ensure people were supported safely and effectively. Staff received an induction and were well supported through a programme of regular supervision, spot checks and training. There were enough staff on shift to ensure people received safe care and support.

Right Culture

There was a positive culture for the people who use the service. Staff who worked there benefited from the support from the management team, including values checks at supervisions and feedback calls from the registered manager. Staff that we spoke with spoke positively about their roles and about providing care to people who used the service.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 12 October 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and the time that had passed since our last inspection.

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

The overall rating for the service has remained 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 Humbercare Ltd Grimsby Office 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.