Archived: Choice Support

Updated 28 January 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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector, two assistant inspectors and a directorate support co-ordinator.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in 40 small ‘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 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 a short period notice of the inspection because some of the people using the service could not consent to a home visit from an inspector. This meant that we had to arrange for a ‘best interests’ decision about this. We also wanted to allow time for people to be informed about the inspection process so they could decide if they wished to participate.

Inspection activity started on 4 December 2019 and ended on 10 December 2019. We visited the office location on 4 December 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we held about the service, including feedback from the public and information submitted within statutory notifications. Statutory notifications are reports of certain incidents providers are required by law to notify us of. We also 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with 20 people in total. We conducted two focus groups with five people and met a further ten people when we visited them in their homes. We also spoke with the registered manager, three service managers and ten support workers.

We reviewed care plans for nine people, including records related to risk, consent, medicines and personalised care planning. We looked at nine staff files and records relating to staff training and supervision. We also looked at the provider’s systems for documenting incidents, accidents and complaints. We looked at a variety of checks and audits as well as records of staff meetings.

After the inspection

We received further email evidence from the provider which we considered as part of this report. We also spoke with a local authority monitoring officer who regularly visited the service.

Updated 28 January 2020

About the service

Choice Support is a supported living service which was providing personal care to 72 people at the time of inspection. People received support in 40 houses and flats around London.

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 provider, management and staff took best practice seriously and worked with organisations to develop systems which promoted people’s health and wellbeing. People were integral to the running of the service and had clear links to management and the main office. There were a variety of audits which people and staff took part in, as well as regular surveys and meetings. There was a clear system of delegation that enabled oversight across all of the supported living schemes which were registered to the main office.

People told us they were involved in their care and we saw multiple examples of people setting and achieving their own goals and developing their independence. Care planning was personalised and focused on people’s aspirations and aims to develop relationships, find new hobbies or start education or employment. People regularly achieved goals and developed skills to improve their quality of life.

Risks to people were managed safely with a focus on enabling people to identify and understand risks themselves. Staff understood how to provide safe support to people and knew how to identify and respond to potential abuse. There were enough staff deployed to ensure people’s needs were met as planned.

Staff worked alongside healthcare professionals to meet people’s needs and administered people’s medicines safely. 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.

People told us they got on well with staff and we observed positive interactions which showed a camaraderie and strong working relationships with staff. Care was planned and delivered in a way that focused on people’s diversity and promoted people’s dignity.

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

Why we inspected

This service was registered with us on 28 January 2019 and this is the first 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.