Maria’s Independent Support Service was first registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in September 2014. This is the first inspection of the service since registration. This inspection took place on 15 November 2016 and was announced.

Maria’s Independent Support Service is a small service, based in the Royal Borough of Kingston that provides people with personal care and support. The service specialises in caring for adults who have a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder. There were four people using the service at the time of this inspection who all lived in supported living schemes in the community. Supported living is where people live independently in specifically designed or adapted accommodation, but need some help and assistance to do so. People’s support is funded by the local authority. The package of care and support provided to each person varies between a few hours a week or over a number of days depending on their specific needs.

Maria’s Independent Support Service is owned by an individual provider who also manages the service. It therefore does not require a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff ensured, when people received support, their safety and welfare was prioritised. Staff had access to appropriate guidance on how to minimise identified risks to people due to their specific needs. This helped to keep people safe from injury or harm in the home and community. Staff received training to ensure people were sufficiently protected from the risk of abuse or harm. There were procedures in place for them to follow to ensure concerns they had about people were reported promptly to the appropriate investigating authority. Staff had also received training to ensure people were protected from discriminatory behaviour and practices that could cause them harm.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. The provider ensured staff were suitable and fit to work at the service by carrying out employment and criminal records checks before they could start work. Staff attended relevant training and were well supported by the provider to help them to meet people’s needs. Staff were set work objectives focussed on people receiving good quality care and support. Progress against these was checked by the provider through supervision (one to one meetings).

People were supported to keep healthy and well. Staff ensured people were able to access promptly healthcare services when this was needed. People were encouraged to drink and eat sufficient amounts to meet their needs. Where this was appropriate their food and fluid intake was monitored to ensure they were eating and drinking enough and maintaining a healthy weight. There were arrangements in place to support people with their prescribed medicines so that they received these safely.

People were supported to express their views in a way that suited them. The provider used appropriate communication methods to ensure people could state their wishes and choices and these were respected. People were involved in planning the care and support they needed. Their relatives and other professionals also participated in helping people decide on the level of care and support they wanted. There was clear and detailed information for staff on how people's care and support needs should be met. The provider and staff demonstrated a very good understanding of the specific needs of people they supported.

Relatives spoke positively about the staff that supported their family members and said they were very caring. Staff upheld people’s right to privacy and to be treated with dignity and respect. People were supported to be as inde