Ambler Way Support Services

Updated 4 December 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 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.

This inspection took place on 31 October and 5 November 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started on 31 October and ended on 5 November 2018. On 31 October we visited the office location on to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We also visited three of the private houses to speak with people using the service and staff and to review some care records. On 5 November we spoke with a health professional and some relatives of people using the service over the telephone.

The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors.

Before the inspection we reviewed information available to us about this service. The registered provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed share your experience forms and notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We also spoke with the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams to gain their feedback about the service.

During the inspection we spoke with 15 people who used the service and two relatives. We received letters addressed for the attention of CQC inspectors from three other relatives of people who used the service which were given to us during the inspection. We also spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, four support workers and a team leader. We looked at three care plans, two staff recruitment files, medication records, audits, meeting notes and surveys. We also spoke with one health professional about their experience of working with the service.

Updated 4 December 2018

This inspection took place on 31 October and 5 November 2018. The inspection was announced.

Our last inspection of this service took place on 16 March 2016. At that time, we found the provider was meeting all legal requirements and the service was rated as good in all areas. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community and specialist housing. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults. This service also provides care and support to people living in a number of ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home 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.

A registered manager was in post and had worked at the service for many years. 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.

People using the service, relatives and staff provided very positive feedback about the effectiveness of the registered manager and deputy manager. They told us they were approachable, caring, proactive and committed to continuously improving the quality of care.

Staff were kind, caring and treated people with dignity and respect. People could choose which staff worked with them. The matching process was effective and ensured staff developed positive relationships with the people they supported.

The service continued to effectively manage potential risks to people’s health, welfare and safety. Staff provided training to people using the service to help increase their understanding of key areas to keep people safe, maintain their health and protect them from the risk of abuse.

Staff were recruited safely to help ensure they were of suitable character to work with vulnerable people. There were enough staff to ensure a reliable and consistent service was provided to people. Staff received effective support and training to undertake their role.

Medicines were safely managed and people were effectively supported to access healthcare services and received ongoing healthcare support.

People told us staff involved them in planning menus and we saw people received a balanced diet which met their individual needs and preferences.

People continued to receive highly personalised and good quality care. In one case the care delivered was not fully reflected within the persons’ care records. We recommended that the provider ensures all care records accurately reflect the specific actions staff are required to take to ensure people maintain good health and to manage potential risks.

There was an open and inclusive culture. Staff regularly involved people in making decisions about their care and used peoples’ feedback to ensure they provided a personalised and responsive service. Effective systems were in place to log, investigate and respond to complaints.

Staff continuously sought new ways to communicate with people and ensure everyone had the opportunity to consent to the care they received and express their views. Staff worked in line with the requirements of relevant legislation such as the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

The provider had clear values which put the people using the service at the heart of everything; staff were true to these values in their day to day work.

A new supported living house had been purchased which provided care to older people. This gave people the option to continue to be cared for by Ambler Way staff as they grew older. The registered manager was working to improve care planning around end of life care and was involving people using the service in this process.

The registered manager operated effective systems to monitor the quality of care provided and ensured people were fully involved in the running and future development of the service.

We found all fundamental standards were being met. Further information is in the detailed findings below.