Archived: 2 Dover Street

Updated 23 July 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 inspection took place at the service’s office on 11 April 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the service is a supported living service. This means staff support people in their own homes. We needed to be sure that staff would be available to attend the office to speak with us. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at this and information we held about the service. This included the number and type of notifications we had received. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

We spoke with the registered manager and two care workers. We reviewed six people's care records to see how their support was planned and delivered.

We were unable to speak to people who used the service because they did not live at the location we visited. We were informed by the registered manager that people did not have the ability to speak to us by phone due to limited communication skills. After the office visit we contacted two relatives of people who used the service to gain their views of the care provided to their family members.

We looked at six people's care records and medicine administration records (MARs). We looked at records in relation to the management of the service such as checks regarding people's homes environmental safety. We also looked at staff recruitment, supervision and appraisal process records, training records, complaints, quality assurance and audit records.

Updated 23 July 2016

This inspection took place on 11 April 2016 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of our inspection. This was because management and staff could be out. We wanted to make sure they were available to speak with. This service was last inspected on 2 December 2011 when it was found that not all records of individual wishes of tenants are dated or up to date. This was in breach or Regulation 9 HSCA 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. We asked the provider to send us an action plan stating how they would improve this. The provider did complete an action plan and we saw at this inspection that all of the actions had been completed.

2 Dover Street is a supported living service registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes . 2 Dover Street is the office where the registered manager and staff arrange the care for people who live in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people who used the service. They received personal care and social support in order to promote their independence.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Recruitment checks were carried out prior to care workers starting work, to ensure their suitability to work with people. Only those staff who were deemed suitable to work with people who used the service were offered employment.

People’s assessed care needs were met by suitably trained and qualified staff. Medicines were given by staff who had received specialised training. Their competency to do this safely was regularly assessed.

Staff knew how to keep people safe. They received training to understand safeguarding procedures and how to recognise signs of abuse. They knew to report any suspected incident of harm to the appropriate authorities.

People were supported in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. The manager understood the importance applying for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) when necessary. Staff ensured they maintained people’s privacy and dignity, and treated people with compassion and respect.

Staff knew people’s needs, and their levels of independence, well. Appropriate risk management strategies were in place to reduce the risks of people falling, being at risk outside of their homes and receiving medicines. People’s needs were assessed by staff who knew them well. Support was planned in a way to ensure that the service was able to safely meet these needs. People and their relatives were involved in this process in defining and agreeing their care needs .

People were supported to see a range of health care professionals.

People had a choice of meals that met their dietary requirements and preferences . We saw that when people were able to staff supported them to prepare their own meals.

Staff had been trained to meet the specific needs of people who used the service. Staff told us they were supported within their job roles.

People and relatives were provided with information about how to report any concerns or compliments. Relatives told us they were confident that actions would be taken in response to complaints.

A range of effective audit and quality assurance procedures were in place. The provider ensured the CQC was notified about events they were required, by law, to do so.