Headstart Speech & Behaviour Clinic Ltd

Headstart Speech & Behaviour Clinic Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care support children and young people with learning needs aged 2-17 in their homes. At the time of our inspection there were 25 children using the service.

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.

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

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 children 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 children and providers must have regard to it.

Right Care

The registered manager did not fully demonstrate they understood and implemented infection prevention and control practices to ensure reduced risks from infection. Staff had not completed infection control training. The registered manager employed suitably skilled and experienced care workers to provide assessed care and support for children. Staff understood the provider’s safeguarding processes. They were trained in how to identify abuse and what actions they would take to protect children from potential harm and to report any concerns they had about children’s safety. Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for children and parents/carers' and understood and respected their cultural needs.

Right Support

Children received care and support that met their individual needs. Children were supported by their parents/carers’ with their medicines when this was needed. Children and their parents/carers’ were involved in their care and support assessments and were asked for their views of the service, and they gave their opinions and views freely. However, we found that some risk assessments required a little further detail on risk management. Staff supported children to achieve good care, health and wellbeing outcomes and liaised with health care services when this was required.

Right culture

The registered manager reviewed and monitored the service and there were ongoing improvements to the service delivery. The provider had systems in place for children, their parents/carers’ and staff to provide feedback about the service and the quality of care. Relationships were built between the service and health, education and social service professionals. This working partnership helped staff to receive appropriate advice about children's care and support needs. Staff were aware of best practice guidance for supporting children with a learning disability and/or autistic children.

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 3 November 2020, and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Recommendations

We have made three recommendations about risk management planning, infection prevention and control processes and quality audits.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.