ML Homes

ML Homes is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care to adults with mental health support needs within a supported living setting. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting one person with personal care.

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

A person and their relative spoke positively of the service and told us they felt safe with the staff that supported them. However, despite positive feedback we found issues with the management of a person’s risks, staff recruitment, management of medicines and management oversight.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service, however they did not identify the issues we found during the inspection.

A person’s risks were not always fully assessed and documented within their care records.

A person was kept safe from the risk of infection and COVID-19.

We made a recommendation around the management of medicines.

We made a recommendation around staff recruitment.

A person was supported by staff who were skilled and trained to carry out their role. Staff told us they felt supported by the management team, however not all staff were receiving regular supervision in line with procedure.

A person and their relative told us they were supported by kind and caring staff that respected their privacy and supported their independence.

A person was involved in planning and reviewing their care. Overall a person and their relative told us staff understood their preferences and choices. A person told us they could raise any concerns with staff.

A person was 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.

The management team sought the views of people using the service and their relatives. A person and their relative told us they were satisfied with the service.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 10 February 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified a breach in relation to management oversight at this inspection. 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 continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.