Background to this inspection
Updated
15 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
This inspection was carried out by two inspectors.
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. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC to manage the service. 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.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service. We spoke with four staff members including two support workers, a service manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We visited two of the provider's supported living houses.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff training records, quality assurance records and policies and procedures were reviewed.
Updated
15 December 2022
About the service
Core Prospects Limited - 37 Sandringham Crescent is a supported living service for people with mental health support needs. People receiving support live in four shared houses with communal facilities, such as kitchen, lounges and bathrooms. Each shared house had an office and sleep-in facility for staff where required. At the time of our inspection the service was providing support to 17 people.
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
Although people’s support plans and risk assessments were generally in good order, we found a person’s risk assessment and support had not been updated to reflect recent incidents. We have given a recommendation about the need to review admission processes.
The provider and the housing association had carried out risk assessments in relation to the environment.
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, However, the policies and systems in the service did not always support this practice. We noted that there was a need to develop the arrangements for mental capacity assessments. However, we also noted the provider had liaised with a local authority in relation to a Deprivation of Liberties Safeguarding (DoLS) request to the Court of Protection for a person where there were concerns.
The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of support and safety at the service.
The provider was in the process of introducing an electronic monitoring system to the service. This was designed to ensure failures in support activities and record keeping were identified and addressed immediately.
Staff were safely recruited. The provider’s recruitment processes included checks of staff suitability prior to appointments being made. There had been some recent staff turnover resulting in agency staff being used to fill staff shortages. The provider had developed a staff recruitment strategy to support the service in recruiting new permanent staff. Staff received training on a range of mandatory topics, and this was refreshed annually. The provider had commissioned positive behavioural support training for staff.
People’s medicines were safely managed. Staff had received training in medicines administration and understood the reasons why medicines were prescribed for people. Risk assessments were in place for people who were administering their own prescribed medicines, and these were monitored.
People were able to participate in meetings designed to share information and give their views on issues in relation to their support. People told us their support staff were helpful.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 4 December 2018).
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to safeguarding, support planning and staff training. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
The overall rating for the service has remained Good.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Core Prospects Limited – 37 Sandringham Crescent on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.