Updated 24 April 2019
The inspection:
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, 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 was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type:
This service provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. The Care Quality Commission does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
The service provides support to six people who receive a regulated service in three houses and two independent living flats. Some people had their own flats and some people shared accommodation where they had their own room and shared communal areas such as kitchen, living room and dining room. Staff provide support on a rota basis, including cover at night.
The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. There was a manager in place who is referred to as “the manager” throughout this report.
Notice of inspection:
We gave the service 48 hours notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that somebody would be available to support the inspection.
The inspection activity started on 6 March and we visited the office location on 7 March 2019 to review care records and policies and procedures. We spoke to people using the service on 8 March 2019
What we did:
Before the inspection we looked at all the information that we had about the service.
• This included information from statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
• We also contacted professionals working with the service for their views.
During the inspection
• We spoke to the manager and two team leaders and four support workers
• We spoke to one person who used the service and one relative
• We reviewed three people’s care records
• We looked at the medicine administration records (MAR) and supporting documents for six people.
• We looked at records relating to the governance and management of the service.
• After the inspection we asked the manager and team leaders to send us further documents which we received and reviewed.