We carried out an announced inspection on 23, 26 and 27 September 2016.Knowsley Reablement Service provides short term, time-limited personal care and support to people living in their own homes. The focus of the service is to enable people to maximise their potential to manage their own care without further support, or with minimal assistance. If at the end of the service a person still required assistance, their care would be transferred to a more permanent provider of the person’s choice. At the time of the inspection there were 57 people using the service.
A registered manager was in post. 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 said they felt safe when using the service and that staff paid good attention to their safety, for example, when using equipment to help with their independence. People were protected from potential harm because staff knew how to recognise abuse and were aware and confident about the processes for reporting any concerns they had.
No new staff had been employed to work at the service since our last inspection however there were processes in place to ensure the safe recruitment of staff. The registered manager described the process which they would follow for recruiting new staff and it was in line with the registered provider’s robust procedures.
People’s needs had been assessed and planned for with their involvement and where appropriate the involvement of significant others. The plans instructed staff on how to meet people’s needs in a way that people preferred. Support plans included guidance for staff about how to manage any hazards which posed a risk to people’s safety.
People were provided with individualised care and support that was tailored to meet their needs. Staff responded to changes in people’s needs and they provided flexible support to make sure people achieved their goals.
Staff received the training and support they needed for their roles and responsibilities. Staff had been provided with relevant training and they underwent refresher training in a range of topics. Staff attended regular supervision meetings and team meetings which enabled them to discuss their work, training and development needs and receive updates regarding the service.
People and their family members told us that staff had always been respectful, kind and caring towards them. People also told us that they were very happy with the service they received and that they had been given choices regarding how and when support was given.
The registered provider had a complaints procedure which they made available to people who used the service and their family members. People were confident about complaining should they need to.
Staff had access to a detailed set of policies and procedures which provided them with information and guidance essential to their work. The policies and procedures were reviewed and updated regularly to ensure they included relevant and up to date information about current legislation and safe and effective working practice.
Systems were in place to regularly check on the quality of the service and ensure improvements were made. These included regular audits on areas of practice and seeking people’s views about the quality of the service. Developments were made to the service in response to people’s views and to changes in practice guidance.