West Cornwall Support Services, a supported living service for people with learning disabilities and autistic people across 15 settings in Cornwall, was rated Good across all five key questions at this June 2023 inspection. The service demonstrated strong person-centred care, safe medicines management, and effective governance, with minor concerns around agency staff reliance in two settings and a delay in regulatory notifications.
Concerns (4)
moderate
Staffing levels
: “In 2 settings the service was experiencing significant challenges with recruiting and retaining staff. In these settings, agency staff were used to ensure people's needs were met.”
minorGovernance: “The provider had introduced additional internal quality assurance procedures...meant that information was no longer being shared with the commission 'without delay'.”
minorRecord keeping: “Internet connectivity...and access permissions for agency staff meant there were occasions when paper-based records were used.”
minorComplaints handling: “The service had regularly received compliments from involved professionals and relatives. Systems for recording details of compliments received were less robust.”
Strengths
· Medicines managed safely with accurate administration records, protocols for 'as required' medicines, and completed audits across all settings.
· Strong safeguarding culture with staff demonstrating detailed understanding of local safeguarding procedures and external reporting.
· Person-centred care with people supported to develop independence, take on home responsibilities, and access work placements and community activities.
· Robust staff training and induction including the Care Certificate for new staff, with consistently positive feedback from staff and relatives.
· Effective Mental Capacity Act compliance including appropriate Court of Protection applications for deprivation of liberty.