We carried out a review of the data available to us about Potens Dipton Supported Living and Outreach on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Potens Dipton Supported Living and Outreach, you can give feedback on this service.
About the service
Potens Dipton Supported Living and Outreach provides care and support to people living in two 'supported living' settings. Supported living settings support people to live in their own home as independently as possible. People's housing is provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living.
At the time of the inspection there were 27 people using the service, in a block of flats and in a house on a residential street. The service supports people, who have either a learning disability or a mental health need. 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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support
People were involved in discussions about their support and given information in a way they understood. Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area. People told us they could either choose their own social interests and travel to them independently or they were supported by staff to do this. Some people told us how their range of skills and social activities had increased, and staff had encouraged them to go to places that interested them. Where people had support, they told us this was flexible, available when they needed it and to the level they needed. People were supported safely with medicines and infection prevention and control practices reflected good practice.
Some aspects of the environment at one of the supported living settings needed some maintenance and improvement. Work was on-going to make the building more suitable for the needs of the people living there. The other setting was purpose built and was designed to meet the needs of the people using it. Both settings had communal areas and quiet spaces. People were able to personalise their flats or rooms, one person told us, ‘It was me that chose the colours, I put my stamp on it. I feel really good.’ People had personal items and furnishings of their choosing. Communal areas were decorated based on themes agreed with everyone who used them.
One of the supported living settings accommodated nine people with a learning disability. The size of the service was not in-line with best practice guidance. People we spoke with told us they were happy living at the service and liked the people they lived with. There was a relaxed atmosphere with people mainly choosing to socialise together. Care was individualised and person centred. Staff ensured decisions about any routines in the service were based on people’s choices. People were regularly asked for their opinions and gave them freely. Staff enabled people to access specialist health and social care support in the community. People had accessed preventative services such as screening for health conditions.
Right Care
Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. They understood people's cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care.
People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs. People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, which staff were familiar with. Staff had the necessary skills to understand people and therefore they interacted comfortably.
Right culture
The service was open to new ways of working and ongoing improvements were introduced to promote independence and inclusivity. People received good quality care, support and treatment because trained staff could meet their needs and wishes. Additional training needs were explored with staff and provided to meet people’s needs. Staff turnover was very low, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well. Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. They sought advice and feedback from everyone involved in people's care. Staff demonstrated kindness and compassion when they worked with people. Staff were aware of and working to best practice guidance for supporting people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
This service was registered with us on 19 June 2020 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service at the previous premises was good, published on 21 October 2017.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
¿ Systems were in place to prevent people, staff and visitors from spreading and catching infection. Only essential visits could take place at the time of inspection. Visitors were robustly screened for COVID-19 including temperature checks and completion of a health declaration.
¿ The service supported the emotional wellbeing of people. People were encouraged and assisted to have telephone and video contact with relatives. When permitted under national guidance, the service encouraged outdoor visits. People were supported to continue with their hobbies and took part in activities such as arts and crafts.
¿ Staff supported people with social distancing. The service had communication aids, such as ‘easy read’ guidance, to help people understand the pandemic and the infection prevention and control (IPC) measures which were in place.
¿ The service had ample supplies of PPE and staff were observed to be wearing this appropriately. The service had purchased a cabinet to store PPE which matched the furniture in the supported living setting, to maintain a homely feel. Systems were in place to safely dispose of used PPE.
¿ Staff and people were taking part in the COVID-19 testing programme. Best interests decisions were in place for people who lacked capacity to consent to the test. Staff monitored people for typical and atypical signs which could suggest they were unwell.
¿ A thorough cleaning schedule was in place which included additional cleaning of frequently touched areas such as door handles. The service had purchased a fogging machine which was used for deep cleaning.
¿ The service had comprehensive IPC and COVID-19 policies in place. The manager was proactive and had contingency plans in place to ensure people would remain supported throughout the pandemic.
¿ The manager supported staff wellbeing and spoke positively about the strong team spirit displayed throughout the pandemic. The manager had a good relationship with the provider and healthcare professionals.