Lifeways Community Care Ltd (Leicester)

Lifeways Community Care Limited (Leicester) provides personal care for people living in their own tenancies in either individual dwellings or shared accommodation. The service provides support to autistic people and to people with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 10 people receiving the regulated activity of personal care. We 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 most people take for granted.

Risks to people's health, safety and wellbeing were not consistently managed. Risk assessments and care plans did not always reflect people's current needs or provide staff with clear guidance on how to mitigate known risks. Unsafe care practices were observed during the inspection. This included inappropriate moving and repositioning techniques and medicines administration practices which increased the risk of avoidable harm.

Safeguarding systems were not always effective. Actions identified following safeguarding concerns had not always been completed in a timely manner, and management oversight of safeguarding incidents was inconsistent, resulting in delays in protecting people from harm.

Staff were not always trained, competent or supported to meet people's needs safely. Staff undertaking delegated healthcare tasks, including the administration of emergency medicines, had not completed the required training or competency assessments.

People were not always supported to receive their medicines safely. Systems and guidance for the management of complex medicines were not always in place, creating a risk medicines would not be administered in line with prescribed instructions. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to medicine management. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of this regulation. ​

Leadership and governance arrangements were ineffective. High turnover of service and area managers resulted in instability, limited oversight and a failure to sustain improvements, reducing leaders' understanding of risks and service performance. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to audits and oversight. Improvements were not found at this assessment, and the provider remained in breach of this regulation. ​

This service is in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a time-frame within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.