Background to this inspection
Updated
25 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 undertaken by one inspector.
Service and service type:
Autism Sussex Domiciliary Care West Sussex is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service for adults with a learning disability, including autism.
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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the registered manager might have been out of the office supporting staff. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
The inspection took place over two days. It started on 27 February 2019 when we visited the office location to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. On 5 March we spoke with a member of staff who was not available on the day we inspected.
What we did:
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included information from other agencies and statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection. On this occasion, the provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return. Providers are required to send us key information once annually about their service, what they do well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when making our judgements in this report.
During the inspection:
¿ We spoke with two people in their own home and spent time observing the care and support they received from two support staff.
¿ We were given a copy of a letter received from a relative. They have given their permission for their comments to be included in this report.
¿ We spoke with the registered manager and three support workers.
¿ We reviewed a range of records. These included three care records, staff files and records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
25 April 2019
About the service: Autism Sussex Domiciliary Care West Sussex provides care and support to people with a learning disability and/or autism, living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection, three people were being supported with personal care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
People’s experience of using this service:
People received a high standard of personalised care that was responsive to their needs. Staff were passionate about supporting people in the way they wanted and were enthusiastic about their work. Christmas could be a confusing and stressful time for people with autism. To combat this stress and relieve people’s anxiety, staff had introduced the concept of Christmas to people gradually. From 1 December through to Christmas Day, people were encouraged to engage in activities relating to Christmas. This enabled them to really enjoy the festive season in a slow and measured way. People were encouraged to lead full and meaningful lives and to be part of the community. Local shopkeepers had been taught basic Makaton and had learned signing so they could engage with people when they went shopping.
Staff were keen to arrange activities with people according to their wishes and preferences. Two people went abroad on holiday and were accompanied and supported by staff throughout. Staff supported them through the formalities of foreign travel and the potential anxieties of going through busy airports.
People were supported to stay safe and their freedom was respected. Staff had completed safeguarding training and knew what actions to take if they had any concerns relating to people’s safety. Risks to people had been identified and assessed and were managed to mitigate risks. Staffing levels were sufficient to support people and meet their needs. New staff were recruited safely. The registered manager had implemented a new system for managing homely remedies in relation to how medicines were administered on an ‘as required’ basis.
Staff had completed a range of training to meet people’s needs and were encouraged to request additional training if they wished. Regular supervision meetings enabled staff to share their views with the registered manager and staff said they felt supported in their roles. People’s dietary needs were assessed and catered for and people helped to prepare their meals and choose what they wanted to eat. People had access to a range of healthcare professionals and services. Consent to care and treatment was gained lawfully and in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
People received support from a service that was well led and well managed. The registered manager had a good understanding of her role and responsibilities and how to meet regulatory requirements. Staff felt involved in developing the service and that their suggestions would be listened to. People were asked for their feedback about the service, as were their relatives. Every aspect of the service was monitored to identify any areas for improvement.
Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection since a change of legal entity in December 2018.
Why we inspected: This was a planned, comprehensive inspection. The inspection took place in line with CQC scheduling guidelines for adult social care services.
Follow up: We will review the service in line with our methodology for ‘Good’ services.