Archived: HFSS Supporting People in Whitby

Updated 18 November 2015

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 inspection took place on 28 July 2015 and was unannounced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and staff are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be at the main office.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. Prior to the inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service which included statutory notifications made by the provider. Notifications are a requirement on the provider to give CQC information about certain events which affect the service. We also looked at the results of questionnaires sent out to people who used the service.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with four people who used the service, three care workers, the trainer, the ) manager and the director. We looked at the care records of four people who used the service along with associated risk assessments and medicine records. We also reviewed records associated with running the service such as policies and procedures, audits, accident and incident logs and emergency plans.

We contacted North Yorkshire County Council quality monitoring team and a team manager for learning disabilities to ask for their comments about the service. They told us they had no concerns currently.

Updated 18 November 2015

This inspection took place on 28 July 2015 and was announced. There had been no breaches of regulations when the service was last inspected on 26 July 2013.

HFSS Supporting People in Whitby is a domiciliary care service providing support and personal care to 18 people of any age whose main area of need is in relation to mental health and/or learning disability. The service also has a day centre that people who use their service can use as part of their care package. There was no registered manager at the service on the day of our inspection but there was a manager employed who had started the process of registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) because a registered manager is required for this service.

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.

Staff were recruited safely and received training that was relevant to their roles. There was sufficient staff employed to meet people’s needs. They were supported through supervision by senior staff.

Care plans were comprehensive and had associated risk assessments. Medicines were managed safely. People were protected because staff at this service was aware of and followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005.

People who used the service were positive in their comments about staff and we saw that staff showed respect to people.

People were supported to engage in activities which were meaningful to them. There was a day centre available to people who used this service which offered a variety of educational and recreational activities which people could access.

The service was well led by a director and manager who both had experience of working with people who had a learning disability. In order to maintain the quality of the service audits were completed.