Archived: Community Outreach Service

Updated 1 December 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 10 and 11 November and was announced.

The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service was a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector. We reviewed the information we held about the provider and the service and looked at the notifications the provider had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

We spoke with four people who used the service and to gain their views of the service provided. We also spoke with two relatives of people who use the service. We spoke with three staff and the registered manager. During our inspection we looked at three staff records and looked at three people’s care records. We also looked at some records relating to how staff review people’s medicines to ensure they have received them on time. We also looked at audits completed to ensure the quality of care received is being reviewed.

Updated 1 December 2016

This announced inspection took place on 10 and 11 November 2016. At our last inspection on 19 February 2014 the provider was compliant in all the regulations we looked at. Community Outreach Service provides personal care to people who may have a learning disability in their own homes. At the time of our inspection they were providing care to 9 people in their own home.

There was a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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 and their relatives told us they felt safe. Staff had received training and were knowledgeable about how to keep people safe and were knowledgeable about how to report any concerns about people’s safety or if they suspected any abuse. Staff knew how to manage people’s assessed risks. People were supported by sufficient staff to meet their needs. The provider had a safe recruitment system in place which ensured people were supported by appropriate staff. People received their medicines on time.

People were supported by staff who had received the appropriate training to meet their needs. The registered manager and staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and how it affected people’s care. When people required support to meet their nutritional needs staff provided the support they required. People were supported to access outside health professionals when their health needs changed.

People told us staff were nice and kind. People were involved in agreeing how their care needs were met and their choices were respected by staff. People were supported to maintain their independence. People told us staff respected their privacy and dignity.

Staff gave people choices about their care and respected their preferences when care was delivered. People were advised how to complain and when they did they were listened to and action taken to resolve their complaint.

People were happy with the care they received. Staff were happy working in the service and felt supported by the registered manager. Systems were in place to monitor the care people received. The registered manager was developing new ways for people and staff to be involved in the running of the service.