Taylor Made provides care and support to people living in one ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live in their own home 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. We undertook an announced inspection on 28 February 2018.
This is the first inspection of Taylor Made following their registration and at the time of this inspection everyone using Taylor Made receives a regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’, that is, help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, three people were being supported with personal care in a shared house.
The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.” Registering the Right Support CQC policy
There was a registered manager in post who is also the registered provider. 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 were supported to make safe choices in relation to taking risks in their day to day lives. Staff had been trained and understood how to support people in a way which protected them from danger, harm and abuse. Staff had been recruited following appropriate checks on their suitability to support people in their home and keep them safe. The registered manager had arrangements in place to make sure staffing resources were flexible to meet people’s individual needs and provided people with support in their home and when going out.
People were provided with the right support for them when taking their medicines by staff who had been provided with the training to do this safely. Regular cleaning and hand hygiene practices adopted by staff made sure infection control was maintained to prevent cross infections.
People were supported by staff who had received the appropriate training and had the skills and support to carry out their roles. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. This included involving people in decisions about their day to day care. Staff knew which people may need help to make some key decisions about their lives and understood what action to take so people received the support they needed in these circumstances.
People told us that they were happy with the way in which staff supported them with cooking their meals, learning about different foods to keep them healthy and in accessing health and social care services when they needed them.
People liked their home and felt they had the facilities they required to meet their individual needs. People valued the support they received from the registered manager and staff in supporting them if they required additional aids in their home to effectively meet their needs.
People who used the service, a relative and a social care professional described the care people received as meeting people’s needs in a positive way. Staff and the registered manager were caring and showed a genuine warmth and commitment to people they supported. People felt they mattered to staff and were involved in every aspect of their lives. Where communication and people being supported to lead independent lives could have been a barrier for people the registered manager led by example to find ways to ensure people could lead fulfilled lives and communicate in a way that suited them. Staff took action to support people so their rights to dignity, independence and privacy were maintained.
People’s needs were assessed and staff understood these and responded appropriately when people’s needs changed. People’s interests and preferences were documented and they were encouraged to pursue social events and areas of interests. Social inclusion was an important priority for people and both the registered manger and staff who supported them.
Staff were happy in their work and were clear about their roles and responsibilities. There was an ethos of keeping people at the heart of their care amongst the staff team which was fully promoted by the registered manager. This ethos supported staff in a variety of ways to be the best they could be.
People were encouraged to share their opinions about the quality of the service through regular conversations with the registered manager and staff.
The registered manager had a clear vision for the service that was shared by their staff team. This vision was about complete inclusion and involvement of people in shaping their lives and the service. This vision was embedded within staff practices and evidenced through the conversations we had with people who used the service.
Leadership of the service at all levels was open and transparent and supported a positive culture committed to supporting and enabling people with learning disabilities.