Priory Supported Living West Midlands

Updated 26 August 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or manager would be in the office to support the inspection and consent could be sought from people.

What we did before the inspection

We looked at the information we held about the service since the last inspection. We checked records held by Companies House. 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. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with ten members of staff including the operations director, manager, administration manager, co-ordinators, care workers and one professional.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 26 August 2021

About the service

Priory Supported Living is a supported living service providing personal care to 36 people in their own homes, including adults with a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder. Not everyone using the service received a regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; 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 visit the service supported 17 people with personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Systems and processes for safeguarding and whistleblowing to keep people safe were effective. People had person-centred risk assessments in place and told us they felt safe in the service. When things went wrong the provider had learned lessons and developed improved systems. We found people’s needs and preferences were met by a sufficient number of staff. People’s medicines were safely managed. Staff understood and followed current government infection control measures.

People were encouraged to make choices; their needs were assessed, and care was reviewed regularly. Staff received training in relation to the needs of the people. Staff worked with a range of professionals involved in people’s care. People were supported to attend regular health appointments and supported to eat healthily and maintain fluids.

We found the manager and staff to be caring which ensured a person-centred approach to the people living in the service. People’s views were sought with equality, privacy and dignity being promoted.

People, and relatives, were involved in their care and supported to maintain their identity. Care was person-centred with people's privacy, dignity and equality maintained. Care was personalised and people are supported to communicate effectively, complaints were recorded and managed.

The manager had embedded the processes to monitor all records and improve oversight of the service. The staff and manager understood their responsibilities to keep people safe. The manager developed the staff team to meet the needs of people. The manager provided a good level of care through robust quality assurance and audit programs.

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 expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service could show how they met the principles of right support, right care, right culture.

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff provided support in the way each person preferred with a view of individual development. The needs and quality of life for people was clear. Staff provided care that was person centred and directed by each person. Staff felt valued and empowered through inclusion in the development of people’s care to suggest improvements and question poor practice.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Requires Improvement (published 09 January 2020) and there were two breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about management of finances, absence of a registered manager and support not meeting a person’s needs. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.