Creative Support - Sheffield Service

Updated 9 February 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 was planned to check 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.

This inspection took place on 18 and 19 December 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure the registered manager would be available. The inspection team was made up of one adult social care inspector.

The inspection activity started on 18 December 2018 and ended on 19 December 2018. On the 18 December 2018 we visited people who received a service from Sheffield Services at two of their supported living locations, Melrose Road and Daresbury Road, to gather people’s feedback about the service and look at the records held at their home. We also spent time observing staff who were present at the visit. We visited the office location on 19 December 2018 to speak to staff and review records relating to the regulated activity. We also visited a third supported living location, Mansfield View, which was annexed to the management office.

Prior to this inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, which included correspondence we had received and any notifications submitted to us by the service. A notification must be sent to the Care Quality Commission every time a significant incident has taken place. For example, where a person who uses the service suffers a serious injury.

The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

Some people using the service had complex needs which impacted on their ability to provide feedback on their experiences. We spent time observing people’s care and support to help us understand the experience of people who could not speak with us.

During the inspection we spoke to seven people who received support from Sheffield Services. We spoke with some of the senior management team who were present at inspection, including the service director and area manager. We spoke to the registered manager, one care coordinator, one senior support worker and four support workers. We spoke with two visiting social care professionals and a member of the Sheffield City Council’s safeguarding team who had knowledge of Sheffield Services. We spent time looking at written records, which included three care records, two staff personnel files and other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 9 February 2019

Sheffield Services was registered with CQC in November 2017 and this was the service’s first inspection. This inspection took place on 18 and 19 December 2018 and was announced. This meant the staff and provider knew we would be visiting.

This service provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, 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. Sheffield Services has four supported living locations, referred to as Burncross Road, Melrose Road, Daresbury Road and Mansfield View. Burncross Road comprises of two houses and can support up to 10 people. Melrose Road is a large house over three floors and can support up to three people. Daresbury Road is large house over three floors and can support up to three people. Mansfield View comprises of four bungalows and can support up to 13 people. The bungalows are arranged around a small courtyard area and the management team office is annexed to Mansfield View. Mansfield View was previously called ‘Supported Living Service’. Each supported living location had a team of on-site staff who provided 24-hour support, seven days per week. At the time of the inspection there were 26 people living in Sheffield Services’ supported living locations.

Sheffield Services also provides a community-based outreach service offering support to people in their own homes. However, at the time of this inspection the outreach service was not providing a regulated activity to the 12 people who used the service and therefore was not assessed as part of this inspection.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities in protecting people from abuse and the service had appropriate systems in place to promote people’s safety. We found medicines were generally managed in a safe way, though some minor improvements were required with medicines management audits and the detail contained in people’s PRN protocols. After the inspection, we received assurances from the provider they had addressed these concerns.

Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and they felt supported by the management team. All staff had received training and supervision to help them to carry out their roles effectively. However, not all staff received supervisions at the frequency as set out in the provider’s policies and procedures. We identified improvements were needed to staff training records at Mansfield View. Personal care observations had not been completed to check staff competency in this area. After the inspection, we received assurances from the provider they had addressed these concerns. We need to see evidence of these improvements at the next inspection.

On the day of the inspection we found there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and it was evident that staff had been safely recruited. We found people generally received support from the same staff which promoted good continuity of care. Agency staff were occasionally used to maintain safe staffing levels at the service and systems were in place to ensure all agency staff received an induction before providing care and support to people. The provider was actively trying to reduce agency usage by recruiting new staff.

The people we spoke with told us the standard of care they received was good. The service encouraged people to maintain a healthy diet and worked collaboratively with external services to promote people's wellbeing. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

We observed staff were caring and always listened. We saw care records contained details about people’s likes and dislikes so their personhood was promoted and respected. Staff knew people well and positive, caring relationships had been developed. People and their representatives were encouraged to express their views and they were involved in decisions about their care. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and promoted. The service provided a programme of activities to suit people’s preferences. We observed people had regular opportunities to access the community.

We found a strong leadership framework in place. This meant there was clear lines of accountability within the organisation and systems which supported the running of the service were well-embedded.