Avalon York Services

This service is a domiciliary care agency and at the time of our inspection 84 people received a service. It provides a service to children aged 13-18 years, people living with dementia, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health, and to older people and younger adults.

The service provides care and support to 28 people living in their own houses as part of a community service and at the time of our inspection two of those people were in receipt of the regulated activity of personal care.

The service also provides care and support to four people living in 'supported living' settings, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. The care Quality Commission (CQC) does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support. At the time of this inspection there were two people living in supported living and receiving personal care.

The service also provided care and support to 56 people living as part of a shared lives scheme. Shared lives schemes are designed to support adults with learning disabilities, mental health problems, or other needs that make it harder for them to live on their own. The schemes match an adult who has care needs with an approved shared lives carer. These carers share their family and community life, and give care and support to the adult with care needs. At the time of this inspection 34 people were on a long term shared lives service, 14 were on short breaks and seven people received a day break with a shared lives carer. 23 of the people who received a shared lives service received support with the regulated activity of personal care. CQC does not regulate premises used for shared lives; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support service.

Not everyone using Avalon York services receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Systems and processes were maintained to record, evaluate and action any outcomes where safeguarding concerns had been raised which helped to keep people safe from avoidable harm and abuse.

Assessments of risks associated with people's care and support and for their environment had been completed. People who used the service were safe in respect of staffing levels, recruitment, management of

medicines and infection control.

The service continued to provide effective care to people who used the service because care workers were supported to have the skills, knowledge and supervision they needed to carry out their roles.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care workers supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Care workers continued to be caring, paying attention to people's well-being, privacy, dignity and independence.

Care workers upheld principles of equality and diversity and championed people's rights when out in the community or receiving healthcare and other services.

People's support plans continued to be person-centred and people continued to undertake activities, education and employment wherever possible.

People followed the complaint procedures to have their views listened to and their needs met.

The service continued to operate an open and inclusive management style where people fully participated in the running of their care provision.

A quality assurance system remained effective with oversight at provider and director level. People and their carer workers were consulted and action plans formulated that aimed to improve the quality and delivery of the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found