Archived: Yarra Family Resource

Updated 2 March 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 unannounced inspection was carried out by one inspector on the 29 October 2015.

We looked at information we held about the service which included the information they had provided to us as part of their registration process.

We looked at records in relation to four people’s care. We spoke with the providers who jointly owned and staffed the service, one of whom is the registered manager. We looked at records relating to the management and monitoring the quality of the service.

There were no people using the respite service at the time of our visit. However, we were able to meet three people who used the service, as they were attending day services held at the same premises. This enabled us to observe the interaction they had with the providers. We also spoke with one person’s family carer.

Updated 2 March 2016

Yarra Family Resource provides accommodation and personal care for up to two adults with learning disabilities. They offer a flexible respite service, charged by the hour, to support family carers. At the time of our inspection, six people were listed as using the service, which was mainly at weekends. The respite service is only provided to people who use the provider’s day care services which operate out of the same premises. This supports the provider in getting a good insight into a person’s needs, prior to offering the short break care.

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.

Procedures and processes were in place to manage risks to people using the service, including safeguarding matters and behaviours that impacted on the welfare of others. Staff knew what action to take and who to contact if they felt a person’s rights were not being upheld.

There were sufficient numbers of staff, with the skills and experience to support the needs of the people who used the service.

People were supported to keep safe when using the service and when out in the community, without taking away their independence. This included checks on the environment and risk assessments which identified how the risks to people were minimised. There were appropriate arrangements in place to safely support people with their prescribed medicines during their stay.

Staff provided a flexible service which met the needs of the people using the service and their family carers. People and their family carers were involved in making decisions about their care and support. Care plans had been tailored to the individual and contained information to support their mental health needs and their ability to make decisions.

People were supported to eat a balanced diet and access a range of leisure activities, linked to their personal choice and preferences.

People were supported in accordance with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. However further action was needed to ensure any restrictions to people during their respite stay were lawful.

The provider worked with people’s health and social care professionals to make sure they received continuity of care and treatment when moving between the respite service and their home.

Staff knew people well and had developed good relationships with people who used the service. People were given choice, and their privacy and dignity respected.

A complaints procedure was in place and people were asked their views of the service to drive ongoing improvements. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in providing safe and good quality care to the people who used the service. They were committed to using continuous feedback from people who use the service as part of their quality assurance system for continued improvement.