SCS - Head Office

The small staff team in place knew people well, but care records such as care plans and risk assessments needed more information to give staff clear guidance for managing people's known healthcare risks so safe and consistent care could be provided.

The provider's recruitment practices required improvement to ensure people were supported by suitable staff.

Staff training required improvement to ensure staff received training in a timely way and training was in place covering the healthcare needs of people supported. Records of staff induction also needed improvement.

People were supported to have choice and control of their day to day lives, however where restrictions were in place; the policies and systems in the service had not recorded the authorisation for this.

Right Care:

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

Staff adhered to infection control procedures and protected people from the risk of infection. Staff knew how to raise any concerns they may have to safeguard people and were assured the provider would take action. Relatives we spoke with said people were safe with the care and support of staff.

Staff were caring and respectful. People were involved in their care and said staff respected their wishes about how they wanted to be supported. People and relatives told us how staff supported their cultural needs.

People and relatives, we spoke with said staff provided good care and staff working for the provider told us they felt supported in their role.

Right Culture:

Systems to monitor the quality-of-care people received and provide an oversight of the service, were not always effective at identifying areas of concern. Systems in place had not identified the areas of improvement required in care planning and risk assessments, recruitment practices, and mental capacity information.

The registered manager needed to improve their knowledge and understanding of their role and responsibilities including their duty to submit statutory notifications about key events in line with the service's CQC registration. They also needed to improve their knowledge and training around support to people with a learning disability or autism so they could be an effective lead and manage staff who provide this support.

There was evidence the provider was open to working with external agencies to provide good care.

The provider was open and receptive to the areas of concern identified in the inspection and after the inspection the provider took immediate action to address some of the concerns we found.