Learning Disabilities & Autism, Bespoke health and social care

Updated 12 January 2023

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

Four inspectors carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

The service provides care and support to people in their own homes in ‘supported living’ settings, so 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 CQC 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 were 2 registered managers in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period of notice of the inspection so the provider could tell people we wanted to visit about the inspection and confirm their consent or arrange for a ‘best interests’ decision about this.

Inspection activity started on 1 November 2022 and ended on 14 November 2022. We visited the location’s office on 1 November 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed all the information we had received about the service and used all this information to plan our inspection.

The provider had not been asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We visited 4 people in their homes to observe their care and support and to speak with them and their support staff. We spoke with both registered managers and 11 members of staff.

We reviewed records relating to people’s care and the running of the service. These included written feedback from people’s families, policies, processes, reports and records, care records for 4 people and 3 staff recruitment files.

Updated 12 January 2023

About the service

Learning Disabilities & Autism, Bespoke health and social care provides support to people in their own homes. The service provides support to people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 9 people using the service whose support included personal care.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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

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.

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.

Right Support:

The service supported people to have as much choice, control and independence as they could. The service planned for when people experienced periods of distress so their freedoms were restricted only if there was no alternative. The service took steps to ensure people were supported in a safe, clean, and well-maintained environment.

Right Care:

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. The service had enough suitably skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.

Right Culture:

Staff knew and understood people, and were responsive in supporting people’s needs. Staff turnover was low, which supported people to receive consistent care. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so people received support based on transparency, respect, and inclusivity

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

Rating at last inspection

The service was registered with us on 25 June 2021 and this was the first inspection.

Why we inspected

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

Follow up

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