Archived: Plymouth Support Service

Plymouth Support Service is registered to provide personal care. The service provides personal care support to adults with learning disabilities and other social care needs who live in their own homes. The service consists of two supported / shared living schemes (Halcyon House and Trelawney) and an outreach service. Plymouth Support Service is owned and operated by the Royal Mencap Society.

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. At the time of the inspection the agency supported 16 people.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.

As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people.

The service used some restrictive intervention practices as a last resort, in a person-centred way, in line with positive behaviour support principles.

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

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.

People’s health and social care needs were robustly assessed, with their care and support being delivered in a person-centred way; keeping the person at the heart of their own care. Involvement by external professionals ensured people’s needs were managed in a holistic and multi-disciplinary way. People’s medicines were managed safely.

People’s individual communication needs were known, and people were supported as they needed to be. People were part of the wider community and participated in social engagements which supported ongoing mental wellbeing.

People told us they felt safe. People were supported by kind and caring staff, who promoted their independence. Staff had been recruited safely, received suitable training and effective support. There were now enough staff to meet people’s needs.

People’s views and opinions were respected. Complaints were listened to, and fully investigated to effect positive change. The provider now had an effective governance system in place which helped to identify when improvements were needed.

Whilst we were fully assured people were receiving the regulated activity of a supported living service. We have recommended the provider reviews the environment of Halycon House in line with NHS England and/or the Commissions Registering the Right Support guidance. So that the environment does not reflect that of a residential care home.

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

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 27 July 2018). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. Since this rating was awarded the registered provider has moved premises. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.