Archived: Poole Office

This service provides care and support to seven people living in two ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home 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.

Four people using the service lived in three flats in a block in Broadstone, and the others shared a flat in Parkstone. Staff were available to support people during the day. At night, the Parkstone flat had staff who stayed awake at night and a member of staff was on call at the Broadstone flats. The registered manager was based at an office a couple of miles away from both sites.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The service had a registered manager. 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 were protected from abuse and discrimination. Safeguarding concerns were managed promptly and transparently, in cooperation with the local authority safeguarding team. Information about whistleblowing was readily available for staff and staff knew how to blow the whistle.

Risks to people were assessed and they were supported to stay safe in the least restrictive way possible. People were involved in this process as far as they could be. Care and support was planned and delivered in line with current legislation and good practice guidance. Assessments and care plans were holistic, detailed and individualised. People’s care and support was personalised to fit their needs. People were supported to get involved in activities such as education, voluntary work, social groups and to maintain hobbies. They were also supported to stay in touch with people who were important to them.

There were sufficient staff to provide the care and support people needed. Staff had the skills and knowledge they needed to provide effective care and support. Staff had regular training and were supported through supervision and appraisal. There were checks to ensure staff were of good character and suitable for their role, before they were employed.

Medicines were managed safely so that people received their medicines as prescribed. The control and prevention of infection were well managed.

Lessons were learned when things went wrong. The provider had a process for overseeing and learning from complaints. The service had received no complaints since it was registered.

People were supported but not made to live healthily and got the support they needed to manage their health. This included support to drink enough and to maintain a balanced diet. The registered manager and staff liaised with people’s health and social care workers where necessary.

The registered manager and staff worked within the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The MCA provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. People were supported to express their views and be involved in decisions about their care and support, as were their families. The registered manager had identified that some people were deprived of their liberty and had requested the commissioners of their care to apply to the Court of Protection to authorise this.

Staff treated people kindly and respectfully. People’s privacy was respected, and their dignity and independence promoted. People usually had regular staff who they knew. Staff had a good understanding of the people they worked with, including how they communicated and their care and support requirements.

The culture of the service was person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering, with good relationships amongst people and staff. The registered manager and staff were motivated and there was strong teamwork. Staff had regular supportive discussions with their line manager to discuss their work, receive feedback, discuss their development needs and review goals.

Quality assurance processes were in place to drive continuous improvement. People's views and experiences were gathered and acted on to shape and improve the service. Staff were actively involved in developing the service.