Background to this inspection
Updated
9 June 2022
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
A single inspector carried out this inspection.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible.
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. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be available to support the inspection. This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. The inspection activity started on the 26th April and finished on the 28th of April 2022.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we received about the service. We asked the registered manager to send us information in relating to care planning and assessments, staff training, medicines management, quality assurance and infection control. We sought feedback from professionals who work with the service. We used this information to plan our inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with the relative of a person who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. These included one person’s care records and medication records. We looked at staff records in relation to recruitment, training, supervision and other records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures and quality assurance records.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
9 June 2022
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.
About the service
Sunlite Recruitment Company Limited provides care and support to people living in a supported living setting. At the time of the inspection one person was living in a house that had been adapted to meet their needs. CQC does not regulate premises for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s care and support.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
This service was not able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right support:
• People received personalised care and support specific to their needs and preferences. Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area. There were enough staff working to provide the support people needed. Staff understood the risks associated with the people they supported. People received their medicines safely, when they needed them.
Right care:
• People were not always supported to have choice and control of their lives. Despite some restrictions placed on the persons liberty, the provider had not made sure that best interest decisions were made. An application to the Court of Protection had not been made for them to authorise the person to be deprived of their liberty for their own safety.
Right culture:
• The providers quality monitoring systems were not always effective. They had not identified the shortfalls we found in relation to making sure staff were trained in line with people’s needs at the time of the inspection and that care plans were developed in a person-centred way. We received positive feedback in relation to the care people received and how the service was run. A relative told us, “I get on very well with the staff and the registered manager, we work well together. Since my loved one came to the service, the team has worked hard to meet their needs. The provider is good at giving feedback and they are always trying to improve the care.”
We made a recommendation that the provider consult best practice guidance on a person-centred approach to planning for peoples care needs.
The provider had safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures in place and the registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of these. Robust recruitment checks had taken place before staff started working at the service.
Staff followed government guidance in relation to infection prevention and control. The registered manager and staff worked in partnership with health and social care providers to deliver care and support. Staff said they received good support from the registered manager.
Rating at last inspection and update
This service was registered with us on 1 July 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.
Enforcement
We have identified breaches in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and with the providers systems for monitoring the quality and safety of the service.
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 return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
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.