Background to this inspection
Updated
25 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: This inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.
Service and service type: Birmingham Supported Living & Community Based Services provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection:
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection site visit because it is small and we needed to be sure that they would be in.
We visited the office location on 27 February 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
What we did:
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We assessed the 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. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection we spoke with two people using the service to ask about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with care staff, the registered manager, the providers service director for the West Midlands and we also observed three people and staff within one supported living house.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and medicine records. We also looked at four staff files around staff recruitment. Various records in relation to training and supervision of staff, records relating to the management of the service and a variety of policies and procedures developed and implemented by the provider.
Following the inspection, the provider sent us requested documents including policies and training information.
Updated
25 April 2019
About the service: Birmingham Supported Living & Community Based Services provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of inspection 11 people were receiving support with personal care eight of whom were living in supported living houses. Support co-ordinators managed the everyday running of the supported living houses and the registered manager had oversight of the service.
People’s experience of using this service:
People we spoke with told us they liked the staff and that they felt comfortable in their home. This was supported in observations during the inspection.
Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Any issues identified were addressed to ensure quality of care was maintained.
People’s needs and risks were properly assessed with sufficient guidance for staff to follow in the provision of safe and appropriate support. Staff had person centred information on people’s preferences and choices with regards to their support. The support provided was personalised to them and their individual requirements.
Independence was supported and people were able to voice their opinions with various communication strategies. Consent to care and treatment was sought in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Medicines were managed safely and staff completed training and had regular spot checks regarding this. We saw that lessons had been learnt following checks made and this had improved practice.
Support plans documented people's nutritional needs and these were known and met by staff. People told us they always received their choice of food and enjoyed the meals prepared for them.
Staff were recruited safely and received regular training, received supervisions, attended staff meetings and had regular practice checks.
The registered manager and staff worked with other professionals and agencies to help ensure people's needs were met effectively. Advice provided was clearly recorded and followed by staff.
People’s privacy, dignity and independence was promoted. Positive relationships had developed between people receiving support and care staff.
The registered provider had a complaints policy in place. Information about the complaints process was provided to people. Safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures were in place.
More information is in the full report
Rating at last inspection: The previous inspection was carried out 04 August 2016. At the last inspection the service was good. At this inspection, the service was rated good again.
Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection as part of CQC’s inspection schedule.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.