Archived: Choice Support Milton Keynes

Updated 9 June 2017

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.

This inspection took place on 28 March, 3 and 20 April 2017 and it was announced. We provided 48 hours' notice of the inspection to ensure management were available at the office to facilitate our inspection. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

We had asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR), which 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. This was completed by the provider and returned on the 11 January 2017. We also looked at other information we held about the service from statutory notifications of events that the provider is required by law to submit to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Prior to the inspection we sent out questionnaires to people using the service, their representatives, staff and community professionals and analysed the responses received. During the inspection we visited six people living in supported living accommodation based in Milton Keynes. The people using the service had complex learning disabilities that affected their ability to communicate verbally with us, the staff and visiting relatives supported people to express their views about the service to us.

We spoke with the registered manager, one support manager, one team leader, one senior support worker, three care staff and two relatives. We reviewed the support plans, risk assessments and other associated care records for three people using the service. We also looked at three staff recruitment files and records relating to staff training and support, and the management oversight of the service.

Updated 9 June 2017

Choice Support Milton Keynes is registered to provide personal care to people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder living in supported living accommodation. At the time of the inspection 38 people were using the service.

At the last inspection on 25 February 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.

The service had a 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People using the service continued to receive safe care. Robust staff recruitment procedures were followed. The staffing levels met people’s needs. People were protected from the risk of harm and received their prescribed medicines safely.

People using the service continued to receive effective care and had maximum choice and control of their lives. The staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received care from staff that had the appropriate knowledge and skills to meet their needs, and they were supported to maintain good health and nutrition. Staff were provided with a thorough induction and on-going training. They had attended a variety of training to ensure they were able to provide care that was based on current practice. Staff received regular supervision and appraisal from their allocated supervisors.

People received care that respected their individuality, they were treated with kindness, compassion, dignity and empowered to be involved in making decisions about their lives. The staff respected their diversity, and knew the people who used the service well.

People and relatives, where appropriate, were involved in the planning of their care and support. Detailed personalised support plans enabled staff to provide consistent support in line with people’s preferences. People knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint and the provider had effective systems in place to manage complaints.

People benefitted from using a service that had a positive, person centred ethos and an open culture. People, their relatives and staff had confidence in the registered manager’s ability to provide consistent high quality managerial oversight and leadership. Established quality monitoring systems were used to drive continuous improvement.