Engage Support

Engage Support is a supported living service providing personal care to people in supported living houses. The service provides support to autistic people and people with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 3 people using the service.

There were two supported houses where people were receiving regulated activity. Both houses had large kitchen and lounge areas for people to spend time in and develop their independent living skills.

Not everyone who used the service received 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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

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

Right Support: People were supported in houses which were part of the local community. People were supported with choices around how their spaces were decorated. People had access to kitchens to improve their skills and independence around food and drink preparation.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, for one person, staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not always support this practice.

Right Care: Staff provided people with person-centred care around their likes and dislikes and who they are as an individual. Positive behaviour plans did not always support all the techniques used by staff and the techniques were not thoroughly monitored.

Right Culture: Staff were passionate about supporting people as individuals and providing good care.. Staff felt the management team were approachable and able to raise any concerns.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service at the previous premises was good, published on 13 September 2017.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement

We have identified a breach in relation to safe care and treatment at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.