Harrow

Updated 30 April 2019

The inspection:

Our inspection took place on 30 January 2019. We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

This inspection was carried out by a single inspector.

Service and service type:

The service is a registered domiciliary care agency supporting young adults with learning disabilities and autism. Support is provided in a shared house.

The service had a manager 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 site visit because this is a small service for people with learning disabilities who may be out during the day.

What we did:

Before our inspection we reviewed records that we held about the service. These included:

• Notifications and other information provided by the service and other stakeholders such as commissioning local authorities.

During our inspection we:

• Spoke with two people living at the home, the registered manager and two members of the care team.

• Looked at the care records for two people, three staff records and other records relating to the management and quality of the home.

Following our inspection we:

• Spoke with a representative of a local authority.

Updated 30 April 2019

About the service:

People Who Care Harrow is a small domiciliary agency that provides supported living services people with learning disabilities and other cognitive impairments. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting four people living in a shared house.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they were happy with the support they received. They spoke positively about their support workers and the service’s manager.

The support provided by staff was person centred and reflected people’s individual needs. People’s support plans and risk assessments were person centred. They had been reviewed regularly and updated where there were changes in people’s needs.

Staff members were knowledgeable about people’s needs and preferences and how these should be supported. They understood their roles and responsibilities in ensuring that people were kept safe from harm or abuse.

People were supported to make decisions about their support. People told us that they were involved in developing their support plans.

The service was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Information about people’s capacity to make decisions had been recorded in their care files. An authorisation under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) for one person had been made by the Court of Protection.

Staff communicated well with people. They supported a person who was unable to communicate verbally in ways which the person understood.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and preferences and how these should be supported. They understood their roles and responsibilities in ensuring that people were kept safe from harm or abuse.

Staff had received training in a range of core skills and this was updated regularly. Newly recruited staff members did not commence work until checks on their suitability had been carried out. Regular supervision from a manager had taken place to support staff to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively.

Staff supported people to take their prescribed medicines safely. Accurate records of medicines administration had been completed.

People planned and shopped for their food. Staff supported people to cook and prepare meals where required. A person told us that they shopped for and prepared the meals that they preferred.

People had good healthcare support. When people were unwell staff had immediately contacted healthcare professionals. Staff had supported people to attend healthcare appointments. Where guidance had been provided in relation to people’s needs this was included in their support plans.

Regular quality assurance monitoring of the service had taken place and any actions arising from this had been addressed promptly.

People had been asked about their views of the service. These surveys showed high levels of satisfaction.

Rating at last inspection:

The service was rated Good (Report published 7 February 2017)

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on our rating at the last inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to inspect as part of our re-inspection programme.

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