The Care Quality Commission
  • Services in your home
  • Homecare service

Archived: Manchester Disability Service

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

6 Alsager Close, Chorlton, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M21 7AN (0161) 881 6572

Provided and run by:
Manchester City Council

All Inspections

25 February 2015

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 24 and 25 February 2015. We gave 24 hours’ notice before the first day of the inspection. The previous inspection of Manchester Disability Service had been on 30 January 2014 when we found the service was meeting legal requirements.

Manchester Disability Service is run by Manchester City Council to provide care for people with various kinds of physical disability and degenerative illness. The people using the service, who are referred to as customers[KL1] , rent their own flats or bungalows. The service provides assistance with their personal care in one site in Chorlton in south Manchester where there are 22 flats and two shared bungalows for four or six customers respectively with more complex health needs. There are three sites in the north of the city with altogether 21 bungalows for one or two people.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We found that the service provided personalised care for the individuals they were supporting, who had a wide range of needs. The environment was safe, but we found that the use of a mobile warden service at night on one of the sites was not satisfactory and required improvement.

There were ways in which the environment in some of the sites could be made more sociable in order to reduce isolation.

We found that the service applied the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and obtained people’s consent where possible, but that there was some uncertainty from the providers as to whether and how to apply the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Some people benefited from a range of activities, but that was not true for all. Meetings were held at which customers were informed about any changes and could express their views.

The service had a good management structure. We were told about imminent changes which had caused some uncertainty amongst staff, but were now about to happen. The service conducted effective audits. There were a number of notifications which should have been submitted over the course of the year but we had not received.

30 January and 4 February 2014

During a routine inspection

We visited three of the four sites run by Manchester Disability Service and spoke to seven people using the service, called customers. One person said: "Truthfully, I like it. The majority of the staff are there when you need them. They never ignore me." They added: "I am looked after to the best of staff's abilities."

Another customer said: "They look after me. They're my friends. Sometimes I swear at them. It's probably the best place for me."

A third person who shared their bungalow said: "We love it. They treat us with respect. They are nice people to work with."

We found that care was taken to assess people's capacity to consent to treatment or support which might appear to be an infringement of their liberty. We found that medicines were stored and dispensed safely and in accordance with best practice. Where there had been errors, we found these were dealt with firmly and effectively by the management.

We found that staff were well trained and generally well supported in their work. We found that annual appraisals had not been correctly recorded but that steps had been taken to rectify this.

We found that there were good systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and to invite suggestions for improvement.

7, 14 February 2013

During a routine inspection

We talked with nine service users, referred to as "customers", in three different sites.

All the customers expressed satisfaction with the care they were receiving. One said that they had "not had any cause to complain." Another one said: "I'm happy here", and someone else said: "they're very good to me." One person said of the staff; "They're lovely all of them."

We found that staff had built up close relationships with customers, especially by acting as link workers. One customer said: "The carers know me. Staff help with my care needs." Another said: "The staff treat me alright. They help me with my plans." Another customer said: "They're nice to you. Staff check with me before providing care." Another said: "They treat me alright. They help me with my plans."

We found that staff had received appropriate training in safeguarding. Recent incidents that involved abuse or allegations of abuse had been reported correctly and dealt with effectively.

We found that staff received relevant ongoing training and were well supported in their work.

There was an effective complaints system in place and we found that complaints were handled well.

22 May 2011

During a routine inspection

We conducted a site visit at the Alsager Close location where people who use the service told us they were happy with the support they received. We were told that they had been consulted about the services they required and wished to receive.

They told us that care support was flexible and could be changed to meet their individual daily routines, for instance if they were going out or if visitors were arriving.

When asked about care staff such comments as 'brilliant' and 'helpful' were made. One person using the service said care worker ''talk to me a lot, they are great and they help me. I like them all' another said they felt that care workers were more like 'friends calling in'.