Background to this inspection
Updated
27 May 2021
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 team consisted of three inspectors, one of whom visited the agency office and spoke with people who used the service, whilst the other two reviewed records remotely and spoke with relatives and staff by telephone.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It also provides care and support to people living across eight supported living settings, so they can live as independently as possible. These properties are situated in the local areas, accommodating one to four people. Staff provide 24-hour cover in the supported living accommodation. Peoples’ 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 the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 27 April 2021 and ended on 14 May 2021. We visited the office location on 06 May 2021.
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. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does 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 and six relatives about their experience of the care provided. Everyone provided us with positive comments. We spoke with six members of staff, including the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. These included three care files, medication administration records, two staff files, training records and associated documentation relating to the operation and management of the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two professionals who were involved with the service.
Updated
27 May 2021
About the service
Caritas Care Limited - 218 Tulketh Road (Caritas Care) is a supported living and domiciliary care service. At the time of our inspection, the service supported 24 adults. However, 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 receive support with personal care, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection there were twelve people in receipt of personal care.
Some people lived in their own homes with family, whilst others lived in supported living houses with other people, who also used the service. The service supports people of all ages whose needs range from mild, moderate or complex learning disabilities and associated medical conditions. The agency is situated in Ashton on the outskirts of Preston city centre.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Assessments were conducted, which identified potential risks to people's safety. However the personal risk assessments and associated care plans could have provided staff with more personalised information about people.
We have made a recommendation about including more personalised details within the risk assessments and plans of care.
We noted a few areas where the recording of medicines could have been improved. The registered manager was receptive to our discussion around this area and confirmed this would be addressed without delay.
We have made a recommendation about the clearer recording of medicines.
Systems had been implemented, which helped to protect people from the risk of abuse and relevant policies and procedures were in place. People who used the service told us they felt safe and relatives we spoke with felt their loved ones' health and safety were protected. Staff we spoke with were fully aware of people's needs and how best to support them.
The provider had a staff training programme in place and competence assessments had been conducted to ensure the staff team were able to deliver the care and support required by those who used the service. Recruitment practices adopted by the service were robust and these therefore helped to ensure the staff team were fit to work with vulnerable people. People told us the staff team were consistent and records we saw confirmed this to be accurate.
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.
A range of community professionals were involved in the health and social care of those who used the service and feedback from those we contacted was positive. Systems were in place within a management framework for the assessing and monitoring of the service provided, which helped to ensure good standards were maintained. There were clear lines of accountability within the service. People who used the service and their relatives told us they were in regular contact with the management team and were able to voice their concerns, if needed.
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 autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.
Right support:
People were supported to make choices, take control and maintain independence.
Right care:
Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights.
Right culture:
The ethos, visions, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people who used the service lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
The last rating for this service was good (published 30 August 2018).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the care and support provided to a named service user. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We found no evidence during this inspection to demonstrate that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Caritas Care Limited - 218 Tulketh Road on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
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.