Your Life Your Way

Updated 13 December 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 3 inspectors and 2 experts by experience.

An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in their own homes and in 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.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 31 October 2022 and ended on 8 November 2022. We visited the location’s office/service on 31 October 2022 and 3 November 2022.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration with CQC. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke to 7 people supported. We spoke with 12 members of staff including the nominated individual, registered manager, area manager, service managers, team leader, senior support workers and support workers. We spent time observing the support and communication between people and staff in shared areas of the houses we visited.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 7 people’s care records and medication records. We looked at 6 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with 10 people supported and 5 relatives by telephone.

Updated 13 December 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Your Life Your Way is a domiciliary care service offering support to people within their own homes and also within supported living accommodation. They were supporting 76 people at the time of our inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found:

Right Support:

People were supported by safely recruited regular staff who knew them well. Staff had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet their individual needs.

Risks to people's safety were assessed and monitored and people had personalised risk assessments in place.

Trained and competent staff supported people to manage their medicines. Medicine care plans held sufficient information to support staff to meet people's individual needs. There were medication reviews to help ensure the service operated in line with the best practice principles of STOMP (Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines).

People told us they were supported to participate in activities of their choice. People described the many activities they participated in including sports, theatre visits, shows, café outings, shopping, volunteering opportunities and holidays.

People were supported with their communication. Staff understood and supported people with their individual communication styles. Information was made available in accessible formats, such as, easy read and pictorial.

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 had a choice about their living environment and were able and encouraged to personalise their rooms. Comments from people included, "I really like my flat, I am enjoying living here" and "I feel safe in my flat. I have bought a Christmas tree and decorations today and am looking forward to decorating my flat for Christmas."

Right Care:

People described receiving kind and compassionate care by a consistent staff team. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity.

Staff had access to appropriate personal protective equipment [PPE] and safe infection prevention and control processes were in place.

Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. They described actions they would take to keep people safe and were confident any concerns raised would be promptly acted upon.

People’s care, treatment and support plans reflected their range of needs, and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. People and their relatives told us they had been involved in the development of their care plans.

People could take part in activities and pursue interests of their choice. The service gave people opportunities to try new activities that enhanced their lives. Comments from people included, "I love going to the café and I meet my friends there" and "I like doing lots of different activities every day."

Right Culture:

People and their relatives fully participated in the review of their care plans and the support they received.

Staff demonstrated a passion for wanting to make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 7 October 2020, and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

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

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.