Background to this inspection
Updated
23 August 2023
The inspection
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by 1 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.
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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that a member of staff would be available to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since their last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. 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 of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.
We spoke to one relative about their experience of using the service. We also spoke with the senior staff team which comprised of the nominated individual and the registered manager. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with one member of care staff and a professional who commissioned care packages with the service.
Updated
23 August 2023
About the service
RockSolid 247 is a domiciliary care agency. The service provides personal care to children with physical disabilities, sensory impairment and learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there was 1 person receiving personal care.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. In this service, the Care Quality Commission can only inspect the service received by people who get support with personal care. This includes help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where people receive such support, we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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:
Children were receiving care that supported them to make their own decisions and be involved in their care. Children 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. Children were supported to stay safe and were cared for by staff who went through a robust recruitment process. Children were supported as individuals. This included providing food in an appropriate way and communicating with people in a way they understood.
Right care:
Children received person-centred care. Staff had developed good relationships with people and demonstrated a respectful and kindly approach towards them. Staff followed people's care plans to help ensure that care was effective and safe and staff were provided with specific training to assist with this.
Right culture:
The service had a positive culture that was person centred. Staff told us they enjoyed their job and making a positive difference to someone's life. The registered manager displayed good leadership skills and staff and representatives spoke positively about their support. The provider had clear and effective governance systems in place that identified and managed risks through audits.
For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was inadequate (published 12 January 2022).
At our last inspection we found breaches of the regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, person centred care, staffing and good governance. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to tell us what they would do and by when to improve.
At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was now meeting this regulation.
This service has been in Special Measures since 10 November 2021. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.
Why we inspected
We carried out this inspection to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.