Archived: North West Branch

Updated 18 January 2018

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 service provides care and support to people living in a supported living setting, so they can live as independently as possible. 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. Not everyone using the service received a regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service received by people provided with ‘personal care’ help tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we will also take into account any wider social care provided. People using the service lived in a one or two bedroom apartment within a purpose built building. There was a communal dining room, lounge and library for people to use.

The provider was given two days’ notice so they could gain consent and arrange for us to visit people who used this service. The inspection visit took place on 13 December 2017 where we visited the office and spoke with the registered manager, the regional manager and two members of staff. We also visited five people to speak with them about the service they received. This was the first inspection of this service and was carried out by one inspector.

On this occasion we did not ask the provider to send us a provider information return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. However, we offered the provider the opportunity to share information they felt relevant with us.

We looked at three people’s care records to see if these were accurate and up to date. We also looked at records provided to people, including the statement of purpose and service user guide, a recent survey, safeguarding reports and records relating to the management of the service including quality checks.

Updated 18 January 2018

North West Branch provides care and support to people living in a supported living setting, so they can live as independently as possible. 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. Not everyone using the service received a regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service received by people provided with ‘personal care’ help tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we will also take into account any wider social care provided. This was the first inspection of this service.

The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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.

People felt safe receiving a service. Staff were trained in safeguarding adults and understood how to protect people from abuse and recognised where people may be at risk of harm. There were processes to minimise risks to people’s safety; these included procedures to manage identified risks with people’s care and for managing people’s medicines safely. There were enough suitably trained staff to deliver safe and effective care to people. Checks were carried out prior to staff starting work to ensure their suitability to work with people who used the service.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People were able to choose how they wanted to receive their support. Care plans and risk assessments contained relevant information to help staff provide the personalised care people required.

People had a small team of staff who provided their support and had caring relationships with them. Care was planned and reviewed with people and the provider ensured that people’s choices were followed. People’s privacy and dignity were respected and upheld by the staff who supported them.

People knew how to make a complaint if they needed to. People and staff were confident they could raise any concerns or issues with staff and the registered manager, knowing they would be listened to and acted on.

People were asked for their feedback on the quality of the service and their contribution supported the development of the service. Quality assurance systems were in place to identify where improvements could be made and the provider worked in conjunction with others to share ideas and to develop the service.