Phoenix Bespoke Support

Updated 8 November 2022

The inspection

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.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in a number of ‘supported living’ settings and in their own homes so that 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.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider/registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 9 September 2022 and ended on 13 September 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

We reviewed a range of records. This included three staff recruitment files, training records, records relating to the management of the service and a variety of policies and procedures and quality assurance processes developed and implemented by the provider. We reviewed three people’s care records. We spoke with six members of staff, including the registered manager, a care manager and care staff. Some people using the service had complex needs and were unable to speak with us. However, during our inspection we managed to speak with three relatives over the telephone.

Updated 8 November 2022

Phoenix Bespoke Support is a service providing care to people in several supported living settings and to people in their own homes. The service is registered to provide care to people with learning disabilities and/or autism, mental health conditions and older people. 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, we also consider any wider social care provided. There were 12 people receiving personal care at the time of the inspection.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support:

Staff supported people exceptionally well to live as independently as possible and be in control of their daily lives. Innovative uses of social stories and communication enabled people to achieve goals that would ordinarily have been very challenging for them. Staff and management used a range of communication strategies and accessible materials to ensure people were able to fully express their views and have full involvement in decision making that affected them. People were provided with consistent choice and involvement in all their decision-making and families were involved where they wanted to be. People were supported by staff to take up voluntary employment which helped them to maintain their independence. People’s risks in relation to their care were managed well. Staff understood how to maintain and improve people’s independence, including taking positive risks. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and we were assured that the service was following good infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures to keep people safe. People and their relatives felt respected, valued and listened to.

Right Care:

People and their relatives told us they felt supported by staff in a kind, caring and dignified way. People’s differences were respected by staff and they had undertaken relevant training to effectively support people. People told us that the care they received was consistent and that staff knew them well. Managers matched people with care workers of their choice, who understood them and enhanced their care experience. People were able to choose their meals with appropriate support from staff. People’s right to privacy was respected and staff encouraged people to regularly provide feedback about the care provided. Care plans were personalised and included information on people’s healthcare needs, preferences, challenges and hobbies. People’s preferences and abilities in relation to oral care were recorded clearly in care plans.

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.

Right Culture:

The culture of the service was open, inclusive and empowered people to live independent lives. People and their relatives were complimentary about the service and felt their ideas and concerns would be listened to by management. Relatives told us they felt that staff had helped their loved ones become more confident and independent. Management had undertaken regular audits to look at ways of improving the service and identifying issues. Staff were complimentary about the management of the service, felt valued and told us they were able to raise concerns with the manager. Staff were encouraged by management to undertake training. Staff treated people equally in line with their beliefs, opinions and preferences. Meaningful relationships had been developed between people, their relatives and staff. People felt comfortable and trusted the care workers. Caring for people’s wellbeing was an important part of the services philosophy. People had a regular team of care workers and felt they had become part of the extended family.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service was outstanding published on 9 May 2018. At this inspection, the rating has changed to good.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about care delivery. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.