High Wycombe Supported Living

Updated 5 October 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 13, 14 & 19 September 2017 and was announced. It was a comprehensive inspection. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a supported living service for mainly younger adults who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in to assist with the inspection process.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed notifications and any other information we had received since the last inspection. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

Surveys were sent to staff, service users and community professionals prior to the inspection. We have used feedback from these to help inform our judgements about the service. We also visited two of the five sites where people live and spoke with six people.

We spoke with the registered manager and seven staff members. We checked some of the required records. These included five people’s care plans, seven people’s medicines records, four staff recruitment, training and development records. Other records we sampled included monitoring and audit reports, staff meeting minutes, tenants’ meeting minutes and records of complaints and compliments.

Updated 5 October 2017

High Wycombe Supported Living provides a service to 46 people, mainly younger adults with learning disabilities, across five sites in the High Wycombe area. People are supported in individual flats and shared houses which are owned by a housing association. 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.

We last inspected this service in December 2014 and rated the service ‘good.’ At this inspection we found the service remained ‘good’.

Why the service is rated ‘good':

High Wycombe Supported Living provides a person-centred service where people are encouraged to be as independent as they can be. We saw people accessed the community; many were involved in voluntary work, work experience or day service opportunities. People went away on holidays of their choice, both in this country and abroad. The properties with individual flats had a shared lounge on the ground floor. This was used by people as they wished and for occasional group activities, to help prevent social isolation.

People were kept safe. They told us they would speak with staff if they had any concerns. Many people named their keyworker or the registered manager as the person they would turn to if they were unhappy. People told us they felt confident these staff would listen to them and put things right.

People received effective care. This included support to attend healthcare appointments and to eat a healthy diet. Staff were supported through regular supervision from their line managers. They received training to meet people’s needs and had been recruited using robust processes.

Each person’s needs had been recorded in a care plan. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were caring and kind towards people. One person told us “Staff are marvellous, they’re friendly…they’ve all helped me to be where I am now.” Another person told us “Staff are very good. I always find (name of staff) a good laugh.”

There were clear visions and values for the service. The service had a registered manager in place. The provider monitored the quality of care to make sure it met people’s needs. Staff understood their responsibilities and knew how to raise any concerns.