Archived: Choice Support Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes

Choice Support Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder living in supported living accommodation and outreach services.

Care services are designed to support people with their day-to-day living activities, allowing them to remain as independent as possible in their own home. Services provided include support with personal care, meal preparation and help with medication. At the time of our inspection the provider confirmed that 91 people were receiving personal care.

This service provides care and support to people living in 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.

The service had three registered managers, each covering the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes areas. 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 felt safe. Staff received safeguarding training to enable them to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and how to report abuse. Individualised risk management plans promoted people’s safety. Staffing numbers were appropriate to keep people safe. Safe recruitment practices were followed to ensure staff employed were suitable to work at the service. Medicines were managed safely and in line with best practice guidelines. Infection control procedures were followed to protect people from the spread of infection risks.

People’s diverse needs were identified at assessment, and the care and support were provided in line with their assessed needs. Staff received training based on best practice guidelines and received support and supervision to further develop their skills and knowledge. People were supported to prepare meals and snacks and to follow healthy eating plans. People were supported to access health support services and attend health appointments as and when required. 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 supported this practice. People's consent was gained before any care or support was provided.

Staff provided people’s support in a caring and supportive way. People’s choices were respected, and their privacy and dignity were maintained always. People and their relatives were fully involved in all decisions about their care and support. People were supported to raise any concerns or complaints about the service.

Effective governance systems were used to oversee, improve and drive continuous improvement across the whole of the service.