Background to this inspection
Updated
18 September 2019
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
The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in four ‘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 did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. The registered manager had left the service the week before this inspection. Recruitment had commenced to employ a new manager. The deputy manager was managing the service at the time of the inspection.
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 deputy manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 30 August 2019 and ended on 6 September 2019. We visited the office location on 30 August 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed all the information we held about the service. We contacted relevant agencies such as the local Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We visited and spoke with three people who used the service. We spoke by telephone with two people’s relatives and had e mail contact with another person’s relative to ask about their experience of the care
provided. We spoke with five members of staff, the deputy manager and area manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records and medicine records. We looked
at staff files in relation to recruitment, training and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
18 September 2019
About the service
St Anne's Leeds Domiciliary Care 3 (DCA3) is a supported living service providing personal care to people with a learning disability in their own homes. When we inspected the service there were 20 people receiving support. 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.
The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.
As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the deputy manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people.
The service used positive behaviour support principles to support people in the least restrictive way. No restrictive intervention practices were used.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Overall, medicines were managed safely. Action was taken at the time of the inspection to improve medicines records. People were safe from harm and supported by enough staff. Safeguarding systems and appropriately recruited staff supported this. People’s risks were safely managed. People were happy and felt safe using the service.
The provider assessed and monitored the quality of care. In the main, this was effective. However, we have made a recommendation about the need to fully review some medicines records. People and staff were asked for their views and their suggestions were used to continuously improve the service.
Staff were trained, skilled and well supported by the provider. Staff supported people to access healthcare and maintain good nutrition. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were respected, staff promoted their privacy and dignity and encouraged their independence in all aspects of life. People told us staff were caring and treated them well. Staff knew people well and used effective techniques to reassure people.
Staff were motivated and supported to provide person-centred care based on people's choices and preferences. Support plans were individualised and detailed. People had developed good relationships with the staff who protected their rights to lead a fulfilling life.
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 13/09/2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection.
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.