Background to this inspection
Updated
3 April 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection was completed by one inspector.
Service and service type:
This service provides care and support to people living in two 'supported living' settings, 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 a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection:
We gave the service two days' notice of the inspection visit because it is small and people are often out. The registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
Inspection site visit activity started and ended on 27 February 2019. We visited the office location on 27 February 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
What we did:
Before the inspection:
• We used information, the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. Providers are required to send us key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.
• We looked at information we held about the service including notifications they had made to us about important events.
• We reviewed all other information sent to us from other stakeholders.
• We spoke to a health and social care professional.
During the inspection:
• We spoke to four people receiving support, the head of support, the registered manager, a team leader and two staff.
• We looked at three care records, four staff recruitment files, records of accidents, incidents and complaints, audits and quality assurance reports and other records relating to the running of the service.
Following the inspection:
• We spoke to two health and social care professionals.
• We spoke with one person’s relative.
Updated
3 April 2019
About the service: Support Workers Direct provides care and support to people living in a '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.
Support Workers Direct is registered to provide personal care services to people with learning disabilities living within supported living accommodation. One of the supported living locations supported young people as a transition whilst they were at college and learning to become independent. The other location supported people who were older. At the time of the inspection 5 people were living in individual flats receiving personal care.
People’s experience of using this service:
¿The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways; promotion of choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focussed on opportunities to gain new skills and maintain current independence and work toward more independence.
¿Staff knew people well and encouraged their development and independence.
¿People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff provided emotional support as needed.
¿People’s independence was promoted and encouraged.
¿People’s needs were assessed and planned for. People were involved in these assessments and ongoing reviews.
¿Risks to people were considered. Staff had a positive approach to risk and worked with people to address and mitigate risks.
¿People were supported to have maximum choice and control over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the systems in the service supported this practice.
¿People, their relatives and staff were asked for their views of the service and ongoing development.
¿Staff work closely and in partnership with health and social care professionals, and where relevant the staff from the local college.
¿Staff were recruited using safe recruitment practices.
¿Staff had training to meet people’s needs, and were supported with regular supervision, competency checks and staff meetings.
¿Staff and the management understood their roles and responsibilities.
¿The quality assurance framework supported the registered manager and staff team to continuously improve.
Rating at last inspection: The service registered with the Care Quality Commission on 30 January 2018 and this is their first inspection.
Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection, following the registration of the location.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this home and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good.