Cintre

Updated 8 December 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Supported Living: This service provides care and support to people living in a supported living setting, 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; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service did not currently have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. However, a new manager had just been recruited who was going to apply to be registered with us. The provider is 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 we needed to be sure that the provider or acting manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who used the service and seven staff in total. This included the nominated individual as part of our inspection. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and medicine records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 8 December 2021

Cintre is a supported living service providing personal care to adults with mental health needs and or a learning disability. Each person has a self-contained flat in a property owned by a different provider called Graham Court.

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

People received safe, personalised care that met their needs. People told us they felt well supported by the staff team who they said understood their needs well.

Systems were in place that supported people to stay safe. Staff understood how to protect people from harm and reduce the risk of accidents and serious incidents. People were supported by enough staff who had time to support people in a safe and effective way.

Staff were knowledgeable about how to support people and this was consistent with people's feedback. There was minimal reliance on agency staff. This helped ensure the staff team worked well together because they knew people and aimed to ensure they provided consistent care and support.

People were supported to take part in activities of their choice in the local community. People were supported with communication needs and there was guidance to help enable clear communication.

People 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.

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. People received person-centred care in a setting that enabled them to have maximum choice, control and independence and promoted their dignity, privacy and human rights. The positive culture, ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people were able to live inclusive and positive lives.

We found that people's personal accommodation was respected by staff and this helped them have dignity and privacy. Staff supported people to make choices and to remain close if they wanted to with family, friends and the local community.

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

Rating at last inspection

This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with us on 6 August 2020.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on this being the first inspection of the service since it was registered with us.