Rochdale Area B

Updated 1 May 2020

The inspection

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

One inspector undertook this inspection.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. This service also provides care and support to people living in supported living settings, 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 had two managers registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are 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 it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 26 February 2020 and ended on 27 February 2020. We visited the office location on both days.

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 the information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch Rochdale for any information they had about the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. Healthwatch did not have any concerns and the local authority comments were positive. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered managers, an administrator and five care staff of differing grades. We reviewed some records. This included two people’s care records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. We looked at a variety of records related to management, including quality assurance audits and records of people’s views of the service. We observed staff interaction with the people they cared for.

After the inspection

We continued to see clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at documents which showed how the service were supporting people to form relationships, improving people’s care and experience in hospital, being involved in national training of people with a learning disability and involving people to get active in sports.

Updated 1 May 2020

Rochdale Area B is part of Mencap, which is a national charity that supports adults with a learning disability or Autism. Rochdale Area B is a scheme that has a number of shared houses where people have joint tenancies but are supported by staff that are available 24 hours a day. They also support people in their own homes. 70 people currently use the service.

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.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

Safeguarding policies, procedures and staff training helped protect people from harm. The administration of medicines was safe. All necessary checks on staff and the environment were undertaken to keep people safe. Risk assessments helped protect the health and welfare of people who used the service.

People were supported to live healthy lives because they had access to professionals, a well-trained staff team and a choice of a nutritious diet. The service worked with other organisations to provide effective and consistent care. 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.

Staff were trained in equality and diversity and respected people’s choices. Where people wanted, they could maintain their relationships. People were treated as individuals which helped protect their dignity. People told us staff were kind and caring.

We saw that people were encouraged to attend meaningful activities. There were excellent opportunities for people to be involved in health promotion and ensure visits to hospitals were improved. Plans of care were regularly reviewed and any concerns were acted upon. The provider responded to people’s needs by exploring and providing access to work, building relationships, getting better care in hospital and improving fitness through involvement in sports. Staff training enabled them to care for people at the end of their lives.

The registered managers attended meetings to discuss best practice topics and liaise with other organisations to improve the service. People who used the service and staff said managers were available and approachable. People who used the service, staff and relatives were able to air their views about how the service was run.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (report published 24/08/2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.