Head Office

Updated 4 September 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The comprehensive inspection took place on 25 July 2018 and was announced. An adult social care inspector completed the inspection. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that the manager would be available. Also, so they could invite people using the service to speak with the inspector.

The provider completed a Provider Information Return, (PIR) which we used to help prepare for the 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 reviewed the information included in the PIR along with information we held about the service, such as contact from the service, members of the public and through notifications. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing any potential areas of concern.

During the inspection we met with two people who visited the agency office to give us feedback about the service. We looked in detail at three people's care records. We met with the registered manager, two team leaders, and two care staff. We looked at three staff files which included details of recruitment, training, supervision and appraisals. We looked at staff meeting minutes, accident and incident reports, and at the providers quality monitoring systems.

We sought feedback from commissioners, as well as from health and social care professionals and received a response from two of them.

Updated 4 September 2018

This comprehensive announced inspection took place on 25 July 2018. This was the first inspection since the provider moved to new larger premises in Honiton.

My Support and Care Services (West Country) Limited is a domiciliary care agency in Honiton for people with learning disabilities and associated needs such as autism, Asperger syndrome, and with mental health needs.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

When we visited, the agency provided personal care and support for three people and employed seven staff. People’s support hours ranged from an hour a day, five days a week, up to 24 hour support, with overnight staff ‘sleep in’ arrangements. Some people lived in their family home and others lived independently in supported living. A supported living service is one where people live in their own home and receive care and support to promote their independence. 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.

Not everyone using My Care and Support Services Limited receives the regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating.

When we visited the provider was in process of buying another learning disability agency, the sale was due to complete in August 2018. The provider planned to take on providing support to the 60 people that agency supports and will employ their 18 staff. When completed, this will mean a considerable expansion in the size of this agency.

The service has a registered manager who is also the registered provider. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The ethos of the service was to value each person. Staff were highly motivated to make sure each person reached their potential and lived life to the full. People were treated with utmost kindness and respect by staff, who knew people well and how they liked to be supported.

People said they felt safe and they appeared relaxed and comfortable with staff. Staff had developed caring, kind and trusting relationships with people. People told us how their support had enabled them to become more independent and about ways in which their quality of life had improved.

Risk assessments were in place for each person which identified ways to minimise risks as much as possible. Accidents and incidents were carefully monitored, analysed and lessons learnt from mistakes. People received their medicines safely and on time.

Safe recruitment practices were followed before new staff were employed to work with people. People had a range of ways through which they could raise concerns or complaints, which were listened and responded to.

People received effective care and support from staff who were well trained and competent. People's consent to care and treatment was sought. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff used the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA) and understood how this applied to their practice. They supported people in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People’s care was personalised to meet their individual needs. People had regular opportunities to raise concerns with staff day to day, and at regular individual review and customer meetings. Their views and suggestions were taken into account to improve the service.

People were supported to eat healthily and maintain a balanced diet. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care they received was right for them.

Staff were confident in the registered manager. They spoke positively about communication and how well they worked with them and encouraged their professional development. Several informal methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received. The provider made continuous improvements in response to their findings.