Archived: Blue Ribbon Supported Living

The service provides support to people who live in their own homes. People were tenants in houses located in residential streets. People had their own bedrooms and bathrooms and often shared the communal areas and gardens. Sometimes staff members stayed at these homes overnight and supported people 24 hours a day

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

The inspection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infection prevention and related control measures required some improvement. A thorough staff testing and vaccination policy was required and we have made a recommendation about this in the 'Safe' section of the report.

Staff members had been recruited safely and the provider had robust recruitment processes and policies.

People were safeguarded from situations in which they may experience harm. Risks to people's safety had been thoroughly assessed, monitored and managed so they were supported to stay safe. People received support from an experienced and consistent team of staff who knew them well. One person who was able to give us feedback indicated to us that they felt safe. We were unable to gain feedback from other people due to their complex needs.

Staff received safeguarding training and had a good understanding of the principals involved in acting when abuse was suspected.

People's needs were met through assessments and support planning. The service worked with relatives, health and social care professionals to achieve positive outcomes for people. Staff and management had good knowledge and skills and this ensured people's needs were met.

People's medicines were managed and administered safely.

Staff described being supported by the registered manager and provider. There were quality assurance systems and processes to monitor the service and drive improvements.

The service's ethos was to put the person at the centre of the plan, action and outcome of care and support. We observed good examples of this person-centered approach at inspection.

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.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

People's care and the setting where they lived helped them to have choice and, where appropriate, independence. The service and staff member's approach to support was person-centred and allowed people to live with dignity and privacy. The whole ethos of the service also allowed staff to support people to ensure they were included in decisions to live empowered lives. The service and staff supported people around all of these principals.

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 rated 'Good' (published 1 November 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to people's support and staffing. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of 'Safe' and 'Well-led' only.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

We found no evidence, during this inspection, that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the 'Safe' section of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Blue Ribbon on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.

Society 1 provides personal care and support to people with learning disabilities and autism who may display behaviour that presents as challenging. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting two people in their homes.

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

The service effectively applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensured that people who used the service lived as full a life as possible and achieved the best possible outcomes, that include control, choice and independence. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The registered manager and staff understood the safeguarding and whistle blowing procedures and knew how to report concerns to the appropriate agencies. There were systems for assessing and managing risk to help make sure people and staff were kept safe from foreseeable risks.

There were enough staff working with people and they received supervision and support so they could care for people effectively. The registered manager had procedures for recruitment.

People's care plans were comprehensive, providing staff with the required information about people's needs and how to meet them. We found people were encouraged to maintain their independence and develop their social skills and were supported by staff who knew them well and had positive relationships with them.

People's support needs and choices were assessed and their care and support were developed to achieve their preferred outcomes. Staff were well supported from starting working for the service and had the required skills to meet people's needs. People's individual needs and interests were well understood by the staff that supported them.

People's social needs were considered as part of the overall service and staff assessed and regularly reviewed their preferences and leisure choices with them. 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.

The registered manager and staff had good working relationships with other agencies and responded well to their enquiries. We found that the registered manager had management systems to respond to complaints and monitor the quality aspects of the service.

We have made a recommendation about the location and storage of records needed by regulation.

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

Rating at last inspection This service was registered with us on 19 October 2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the date of registration.

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.