Dimensions South West Counties Care Office provides personal care and support to people with learning disabilities. The organisation manages services provided to people across five counties from the registered office location. At the time of our inspection services were being provided to 108 people who lived in their own homes, either alone or in shared houses with support.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The care service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.” Registering the Right Support CQC policy.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People living at the service said they felt safe. Staff knew how to protect people from harm and abuse. Risk assessments had been completed and when risks had been identified, care plans provided clear guidance for staff on how to reduce the risks. Medicines were managed safely.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff said they were trained and supported in their roles. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink.

Care plans were person centred and detailed. Health action plans were in place. We saw examples of staff providing additional levels of support, such as staying with people when they were in hospital. The service had received positive feedback from people and their families. We observed many positive interactions between staff and people. Staff spoke passionately about their roles.

There were robust quality assurance systems in place. Staff spoke highly of the management team and management values. The provider’s values were embedded in the day to day support of people. The service met all the relevant fundamental standards.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The inspection took place 30 November 2015 and was announced. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered at a new address in September 2014. We had last inspected the service in October 2013 at its’ previous address and found the service was meeting the legal requirements.

Dimensions South West Counties Domiciliary Care Office provides personal care and support to adults with learning disabilities. The organisation manages services provided to people across five counties from the registered office location. At the time of our inspection services were provided to 80 people who lived in their own homes, either alone or in shared houses with support. 

The amount of care and support varied from a few hours per day, or week, to people receiving care and support 24 hours a day.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were positive about the care they received and praised the quality of the staff and management, however some relatives and staff were concerned about the consistency of staff as a result of recent changes.

Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them. Staff understood the needs of the people they were supporting. People described their care as being provided by staff with “care and compassion.”

Staff were appropriately trained and skilled. They received a thorough induction when they started work at the service. They demonstrated a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the values and philosophy of the service. The staff had completed training to ensure the care and support provided to people was safe and effective to meet their needs. The effectiveness of training was monitored through the supervision; and if necessary disciplinary processes.

The service was overall responsive to people’s needs and wishes, however some people didn’t think people’s individual needs were always being met. We saw people’s needs were set out in individual plans. These were developed with input from the person and people who knew them well. Staff explained the importance of supporting people to make choices about their daily lives. Where necessary, staff contacted health and social care professionals for guidance and support.

The registered manager and locality managers provided leadership to the staff and actively sought to develop the standards of the service. Any complaints were acted on. People explained they were confident that any concerns or complaints they raised would be taken seriously and be dealt with promptly.

There was a continuous system for assuring the quality of the service and the care that people received. The service encouraged feedback from people, their relatives and staff, which they used to make improvements.