This inspection took place on 24 September 2018.

Parkhouses Independent Living Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. Not everyone using Parkhouses Independent Living Services receives a 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 time of our inspection the service was providing personal care to 14 people. Four of the people supported lived in a shared house with 24-hour support from care staff.

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.

People and their relatives were involved in discussions and decisions about the care and support needed and they could influence the delivery of their care. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and their healthcare needs were monitored as appropriate. However, people’s ability to make decisions had not been formally assessed or documented to show which decisions they could or could not make. Improvements were required to the processes for assessing people’s mental capacity. We made a recommendation about mental capacity assessments.

People who used the service and their relatives told us they felt safe when staff members were in their homes. Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew their responsibilities to report any concerns. The service also had whistleblowing and lone working policies in place.

Risk assessments were in place to keep people safe. These were reviewed and updated regularly or when changes occurred.

Recruitment systems and processes in place were robust. We saw references, identity checks and Disclosure and Barring Service checks were completed before staff were employed.

New staff members were expected to complete an induction when they commenced employment. Training courses were available to staff which were relevant to their roles. Staff members told us, and records confirmed, that staff members received supervision and appraisals on a regular basis. Staff members we spoke with told us they were able to discuss any training requirements they had.

Our observations and feedback provided by people showed that staff were kind, caring and supportive of people who used the service.

The service delivered person centred care. We saw person centred care plans were in place and reviewed regularly.

The service had a complaints procedure in place. One complaint had been received since our last inspection.

Accidents and incidents were reported to management. This meant they were able to see if appropriate action had been taken by staff to ensure people were kept safe.

The registered manager had processes and systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service.

We saw regular staff meetings were also held. Staff told us they were able to bring up topics for discussion.

The service was meeting all relevant fundamental standards.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We carried out an announced inspection of Parkhouses Independent Living Services on the 22 December 2015 and 6 January 2016.

We last inspected the service 26 June 2013 and found the service was meeting the regulations that were applicable at that time.

Parkhouses Independent Living Service provides a flexible 24 hour personalised care and support service for people who require support to live independently within the community. Additional services are offered such as domestic support and carer support. The office is located near the centre of Burnley, Lancashire. At the time of the inspection 10 adults with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder were using the service.

People spoken with were complimentary about the care and support provided and about the staff team. They told us, “I like all the staff who work in my house.” And I like my staff; they help me decide what I want to do.” Quality assurance monitoring surveys showed people consistently received excellent care and support from staff employed by the agency.

There were good systems and processes in place to keep people safe. Staff had an excellent understanding of risk management. Risks to people had been identified, assessed and managed safely. People were encouraged to live their lives the way they chose, but supported to recognise this should be done in a safe way. The service liaised with other service sector professionals such as the fire authority who offer a free fire risk home assessment and liaised with landlords to ensure the safety of people’s homes.

People told us they felt safe in their homes when staff visited. Arrangements were in place for staff to gain entry to their home according to people’s wishes. People had a direct telephone link to the office they could use for emergencies. People told us staff were respectful towards them and their property. The agency had a code of conduct and practice staff were familiar with and expected to follow when visiting people in their homes. This was monitored closely.

People were cared for by staff that had been recruited safely and were both trained and receiving training to support them in their duties. People using the service were involved in recruiting their own staff and providing induction training when they started work. Staff training was thorough and all staff held a recognised qualification in care. We found there were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to attend to people’s needs and keep them safe. Staff were trained in emergency procedures.

People’s medicines were managed safely and were administered by staff who were trained and competent.

Staff received a range of appropriate training to give them the necessary skills and knowledge to help them look after people properly. This helped to ensure the staff team had a good balance of skills and knowledge to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff were very well supported by the management team and received regular supervision.

The registered provider and staff understood their responsibilities in promoting people's choice and decision-making under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure that people’s rights were protected. People were very well supported in decision making and decision making tools were used to help people remove barriers that prevented them doing what they wanted to do and remain independent.

People’s nutritional needs were met and they were involved in menu planning, shopping for food and basic food preparation. Healthy options were promoted.

People’s individual needs were assessed and support plans were developed to identify what care and support they required. People were regularly consulted about their care to ensure their wishes and preferences were met and their independence was promoted. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s individual needs, backgrounds and personalities and worked with health and social

People were involved in their assessment of needs and the development of their care provided. People's views were taken into account and they were therefore able to influence the delivery of their care being provided. People told us they were able to express their views and were involved in decisions about their care

We found people spoken with were happy with the care and support they received. One person told us, "I am very pleased, staff always help me and we always have fun” another person commented, "We are really well supported and we are happy here and have no complaints”.

Staff were provided with appropriate training opportunities and received regular supervision and appraisal. One carer told us the service was really good and they felt supported by the management team. They said, “It is a pleasure to come to work” and they were provided with updated training and supervision.

Suitable arrangements were in place to ensure people receiving a service were safeguarded against the risks of abuse.

There were systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service. People were asked their opinion of the service and were given the opportunity to complete customer satisfaction questionnaires. We saw the results of the questionnaires completed in October 2012 and noted people had a high level of satisfaction with the service.

One relatives comments we looked at told us that they were “Totally satisfied with the level of care given to my mum” as well as stating that the service was exceptional and the carers couldn’t do enough. Other comments included, “Would recommend Parkhouses to anybody as they accommodate anybody and anything at the drop of a hat 100/100”.

People we visited at their homes told us they were satisfied with the care and support provided by the service. People told us they knew who was visiting them and had been provided with a rota telling them who was visiting. One person told us, “They are very good and I know who is coming and they speak to me well”.

Suitable arrangements had been made to obtain consent and involve individuals and family members when arranging the care package.

We saw that people using the service had detailed support plans in place and an assessment had been carried out before the service started. People had their care package reviewed on a regular basis to ensure the care they were receiving was suitable and appropriate.

Suitable policies and procedures were in place to ensure that any complaints about the service were acted upon in a timely manner and contact numbers had been provided to people using the service should they need to contact someone in an emergency.

Staff had received training to assist people with their medication and policies were in place. Appropriate records had been maintained when staff had handled any individual’s medication (creams).

Staff had been effectively recruited with checks in place and appropriate records maintained.

People using the service told us they were getting the service they wanted. They had discussed the type of help they needed with the manager and had received information about the service.

They told us they had met their carers before they received any help. They had a plan of care and support staff followed. They said, “Every day they visit and they ask me what I want doing. I usually decide what I want and they work with me“. And, “They are always very pleasant and helpful.”

They said their carers were very good. They arrived on time and followed their agreed support plan. They were flexible in their work. They could make choices and decisions about matters that affected them.

People using the service also thought the standard of care planning was very good and gave staff good guidelines to follow. Comments received at the agency in quality monitoring included, “Excellent detail in staff guidelines.” One relative we spoke to said, “The agency staff carry out all the tasks in her care plan. I know what has happened and how mum is. They are very good. With their support I have been able to help mum maintain some independence in her own home for as long as possible. I don’t worry the same”.

People told us they felt safe in their home. They had arrangements in place for staff to gain entry and to keep their home secure when they left. It was all detailed in their support plan.

People said they were visited by the manager and the provider. They were asked if everything was all right for them. They were consulted all the time about the service they received and could request for changes to be made, for example times of visits and tasks they required doing.

People said they received an excellent service. Staff were always polite and respectful to them and their property.