Your Life Your Support Limited

Updated 1 January 2019

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.

The inspection was announced. In line with our methodology we gave short notice of the inspection visit. This was because we needed to ensure the registered manager would be available at the office

The inspection was undertaken by one adult social care inspector from the CQC. The inspection site visit activity started on the 11 October 2018 where we spent time speaking with the registered manager and four staff working in the office. We looked at six hard copies of the care files and the electronically held care records. All staff personnel files were electronically held. We looked at three staff records, training records and staff supervisions. We looked at the quality monitoring checks and other records necessary for the management of the service.

On the 16 October 2018, we visited one of the houses that is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week by YLYS staff, to speak with staff and the two-people living there. We also telephoned another person who used the service.

We sent out six emails to the staff asking for their views of the service. We received five replies.

Before the inspection we contacted the local authority commission team and the safeguarding team. No areas of concerns were raised.

We looked at the information we held about the service, including the last inspection report and notifications the provider had sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us.

For this inspection we did not request a Provider Information Return (PIR) form. This is a form that asks the provider to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and what improvements they plan to make.

Updated 1 January 2019

This announced inspection took place over two days. On the 11 October 2018 we visited the office and spent time with the registered manager and staff working in the office. On the 16 October 2018 we visited a family at their home to seek their views about the service they received. We spoke with three people who used the service. We also contacted staff and healthcare professionals to seek their views and opinions on the service and the care and support provided.

This was the first inspection of the service at these premises. The last inspection on the 6 January 2016 was at the previous address and the service was rated good.

Staff had only moved in to the new premises over the weekend commencing the 6 October 2018 and the registered manager was in the process of registering the new location with the CQC.

Your Life Your Support (YLYS) is a domiciliary care agency that provides care and support to people living in their own homes, as well as access to community resources. At the time of the inspection 47 people were receiving support, 15 where in receipt of support with personal care.

YLYS provides a range of services within the following groups: Older people, adults with mental health problems, people living with dementia, adults with learning disabilities, adults with physical disabilities and adults with learning difficulties in Supported Living Schemes

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

The provider was also the registered manager. 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.’

As part of our inspection we contacted healthcare professionals who worked with the service. Comments were extremely positive about the care and commitment provided by the agency. Comments included, “I have had quite a lot of contact with Your Life Your Support and I have always found them to be very professional, caring and knowledgeable with regards to their customers and the care they provide. Another person said, “This agency is the most professional that I have encountered in dealing with service users with complex lifestyles”.

We saw that a comprehensive assessment was completed with each person using the service and their relatives where appropriate. The assessment formed the baseline of the care records. Each person had a copy of their care record in their home. Electronic daily logs and observations were completed by staff after each visit and this information was collated in the office.

Care records contained detailed information to guide care staff on the care and support required. The care records showed that risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been identified and plans were in place to help eliminate the risk. Assessments were also undertaken around the risks associated with general safety issues within people’s home.

We found that suitable arrangements were in place to help safeguard people from abuse. Guidance and training was provided for staff on identifying and responding to the signs and allegations of abuse.

We found that people were supported by sufficient numbers of suitably skilled and experienced staff who received a thorough induction, were adequately supervised and were safely recruited.

The service was flexible which meant that times of visits could be changed if people had appointments and needed staff to accompany them.

The registered manager acted as a role model for the staff team who were motivated to offer care that was kind, caring and understanding.