Background to this inspection
Updated
27 June 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.
Inspection site visit activity started on 24 April 2018 and finished on 21 May 2018. It included visits to the provider’s office location, visits to people in the community and telephone calls to relatives of people who used the service. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of the inspection site visits because we needed to make sure someone would be available at the office location.
The inspection was carried out by two adult social care inspectors.
As part of planning our inspection, we contacted the local Healthwatch and local authority safeguarding and quality performance teams to obtain their views about the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer group, which gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to tell us about within required timescales.
The provider had been requested to complete a Provider Information Return which was returned within required timescales. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection we visited three supported living services and spoke with four people who used the service, three relatives and six staff including the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. These included three people's care records containing care planning documentation and daily records. We looked at three staff files relating to their recruitment, supervision, appraisal and training. We reviewed records relating to the management of the service and a wide variety of policies and procedures.
Updated
27 June 2018
Creative Support –Whitby, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland are registered to provide personal care to people with a learning disability in the Whitby, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland area. The service is one of a group of services provided by Creative Support Limited which is a not for profit organisation with charitable status. They also provide support living services which are staffed 24 hours a day.
Inspection site visit activity started on 24 April 2018 and finished on 21 May 2018. At the time of this inspection, the service supported 11 people.
At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission. They assisted throughout the inspection process.
Safe recruitment processes continued to be followed. Staff received safeguarding training and were familiar with the process they needed to follow if they had any concerns. Risk assessments were completed when any risks were identified. Staff received medicines training and we found medicines were stored and administered safely.
New staff completed an induction when they joined the service. People were supported by a regular team of competent staff who had completed training, relevant to their role. Staff received supported through a regular system of supervisions and one to one discussions.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Staff had good working relationships with other health professionals and sought advice and guidance where needed.
People told us they were well cared for. Staff demonstrated a positive regard for what was important and mattered to people. Staff promoted people’s independence in line with the vision of the service.
People and relatives confirmed they were actively involved in the planning of care. Care plans contained guidance specific to the individual. People and relatives told us they knew how to make a complaint. The provider had a complaints policy in place which was available in large print and displayed within services.
Records had not always been completed fully. For example, MCA assessments, best interest decisions and regular reviews of people’s care plans and risk assessments were not fully recorded. The registered manager took swifts action to address this during the inspection.
A range of quality assurance processes were in place to monitor and improve the service. The registered manager attended meetings, presentations and training courses to ensure they kept up to date with best practice guidance. Staff told us the registered manager was approachable, responsive and listened to any ideas for areas of improvement.
People and relatives were asked to provide feedback on the service. However, action plans to address any concerns raised specific to the service were not in place.
Further information is in the detailed findings below