Parkhouses Independent Living Services

Updated 10 May 2022

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. The provider also provides care and support to people living in 'supported living' settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living or domiciliary care; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service short notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager or a representative would be in the office to support the inspection. We also requested consent from people to visit their home and to call people over the telephone.

Inspection activity started on 21 April 2022 and ended on 22 April 2022. We visited the location’s office on both days.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it had been registered. We also sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

With their permission, we visited seven people living in their own homes. We also spoke with three people using the service, five relatives and five staff over the telephone. We spoke with the office manager at the agency’s office.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s support plans and care records as well as two people’s medication records, we also checked medicine storage arrangements. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment. In addition, we looked at a wide range of records relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures and staff training as well as audits and quality reviews.

After the inspection

We discussed the inspection findings with the registered manager, who was on annual leave at the time of the visit. The registered manager sent us an action plan in response to the findings of the inspection.

Updated 10 May 2022

About the service

Parkhouses Independent Living Services is a community-based care provider that provides personal care to people living in their own homes and supported living settings. At the time of inspection there were 16 people in receipt of the regulated activity of personal care.

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.

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

People told us they felt safe and staff were kind and caring. Staff understood how to protect people from harm or discrimination and had access to safeguarding adults’ procedures. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. The office manager agreed to carry out a full audit of all staff files to check recruitment records. Following the inspection, the provider sent us an action plan detailing their plans to update the recruitment procedure.

The management team carried out risk assessments to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection. People received their medicines safely and were supported to eat and drink in accordance with their care plan.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People’s needs were assessed prior to them using the service. The provider had arrangements for the induction of new staff and provided regular training updates for existing staff. Staff were supported by the registered manager. People were helped to access healthcare services, as appropriate.

People and their relatives told us staff were caring and showed kindness, sensitivity and respect. People and where appropriate their relatives had been consulted about their care needs and were involved in their ongoing care and support. People and their relatives had access to a complaint's procedure, if they wished to raise a concern.

The management team carried out a number of audits to check the quality and safety of the service. Spot checks were carried out to monitor staff performance. People were asked for their views and their suggestions were used to improve the service and make any necessary changes.

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.

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

Right support

¿ Staff supported people to make their own choices about the care they received and how they spent their time. Staff focused on people's strengths and on what they could do to ensure they led a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life. Staff promoted people's independence and supported their access to the local community.

Right care

¿ Care was person-centred and promoted people's dignity, privacy and human rights. People confirmed their privacy and dignity was respected. Support plans were person centred and ensured the person was involved in the development and review of their plan as far as possible. Training and support for staff ensured human rights was at the heart of the delivery of care and support.

Right culture:

¿ Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the manager and staff ensured people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives. People’s diverse needs were assessed, supported and respected. People were supported to make choices and live the life they chose.

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

Rating at last inspection

The service was registered with us on 30 May 2019. This was the first inspection of the service.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection for this newly registered service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.