Archived: Encompass Care Supported Living Services Central Dorchester and Bridport

Encompass Supported Living Services Central Dorchester and Bridport Division provides care and support to 36 people living in seven 'supported living' settings, including houses and flats, so that they can live as independently as possible.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting 36 people with their personal care needs.

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

For people living in certain geographical areas there were not enough staff employed to be able to provide people with the staff they had been assessed as needing. However, these shortfalls were being covered by regular bank or agency staff. This reflected a national picture in the social care sector. There were occasions where people had not been provided with their one to one staff support. This had impacted on a small number of people’s ability to undertake activities at home or in the community at their preferred times. One to one hours were in addition to the core staffing provided to meet people’s assessed care and support needs. These hours were for supporting people to do activities or to have staff support to travel and go out. The provider had been creative in the ways they provided people’s one to one support during the pandemic when there were restrictions on travel and attending day services. The provider had been proactive in addressing recruitment and retention at the service.

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. The service used REACH principles (nationally recognised standards underpinning good practice in ‘supported living’) to ensure people were at the centre of their care and were supported to be as independent as possible. People lived in domestic settings and received support from staff who understood their needs and preferences. Managers and staff empowered people to make their own decisions about their care and support.

Staff told us they understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Relatives and people using the service told us they felt safe.

Medicines were managed safely. People received their medicines when needed and appropriate records had been completed. We saw people had access to healthcare professionals.

Risks to individuals and the environment were well managed. The provider learned from accidents and incidents to mitigate future risks.

Staff development was supported by a thorough induction, support from the management team and training relevant to the needs of the people they cared for.

Infection control procedures were robust and measures were in place to protect people from infection control risks associated with COVID-19.

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 did support this practice.

People were supported by kind and caring staff. People were treated with dignity and respect and supported to maintain their independence.

People's care and support needs were reviewed. People and their relatives knew how to raise a complaint.

The provider's governance systems both monitored and improved the quality and safety of the service provided to people. The registered manager and provider were open and transparent and acted on any feedback given throughout the inspection.

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 20/12/2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to provide the service with a rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.