Venus Healthcare

We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

We undertook this responsive follow-up onsite inspection to check the provider had followed their action plan and improved since their last inspection when we found they were in breach of regulations. This short notice announced assessment was conducted by 3 adult social care inspectors who assessed all 22 quality statements related to the 3 key questions, Is the service safe, responsive and well-led?

During this assessment we found the service had made improvements and was no longer in breach of regulations.

The service supported people to stay safe. Staff understood people’s rights and how these should be met. Staff recruitment practices were safe. There were enough staff with the right levels of knowledge, skills, and experience to safely meet people’s needs and understand their roles and responsibilities. The service supported staff wellbeing. Medicines and infection control were managed safely.

People received care centred on them from a dedicated core team of staff who were familiar with their individual needs, preferences and daily routines. The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback.

The managers were visible and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. There was a culture of improvement and inclusivity which had led to people experiencing positive outcomes and enhanced quality of life. Managers and staff worked in close partnership with external professionals and bodies to help people achieve positive outcomes.

During our assessment we met 2 people using the supported living service, the new manager (acting), the clinical lead and area manager, and 3 support workers. We also received email feedback about the service from a relative, an external social care professional and 4 support workers.

People were positive about the quality of the care provided by Venus Healthcare. One person told us they liked the staff who supported them and they felt happy and safe living in their self-contained flat. They said, “The staff were kind and I really like [name of staff member] who looks after me.” Relatives also told us their family members were happy and safe receiving a supported living service from this provider. One relative remarked, “I think the service is particularly good at supporting my [family member] with their health, including their diet, and keeping them safe.” We observed people were comfortable in the presence of their dedicated core staff team who were familiar with their individual needs, preference’s and daily routines.

Some people could not directly tell us about their experience. We used a structured observation tool to assess whether they received good care. This approach showed people were included and listened to and staff consistently interacted positively with them.