About the service: Millward Place provides care and support to people living in a 'supported living' settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support. At the time of our inspection they were supporting nine people with a visual impairment who received the regulated activity of personal care.

People’s experience of using this service:

¿ People told us they felt safe. People were protected from potential risk of harm because staff had an understanding of how to spot signs of abuse and how to report concerns within the organisation and externally.

¿ Risks to people were assessed and staff were aware of these risks and how to minimise them.

¿ People and their relatives told us there was enough staff to meet people's needs.

¿ Staff told us and records confirmed that the appropriate pre- employments checks had been completed before they started working at the service.

¿ Although people received their medicines as prescribed the systems in place for the management of medicines needed improvement.

¿ Staff told us they used protective equipment such as gloves and aprons for prevention and control of infection.

¿ People's needs and choices were assessed by the management team before they begun to use the service.

¿ People told us they were supported by staff who had the relevant skills to meet their needs.

¿ People told us they were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet and were supported to access ongoing health support.

¿ People were assisted to have maximum choice and control over their lives.

¿ People told us they were cared for by staff who treated them with respect and dignity and encouraged them to maintain their independence.

¿ People described how they were able to express their views in making decisions about their lives.

¿ The service ensured the planning of care for people was personalised and responsive to people’s individual needs.

¿ Complaints received had been investigated and resolved. People and their relatives knew who to contact if they had any complaints.

¿ The service had some effective systems and procedures in place to monitor and assess the quality of their service. However, some had not identified where improvement was needed.

¿ People who used the service, their relatives and staff members gave us positive feedback about the service and the management.

¿ One person told us, “The staff treat us all with genuine respect in care. They listen to what we ask of them and they support us in the manner that suits us too.”

The service did not meet some of the characteristics of Good in one area and more information is in the detailed findings below.

Rating at last inspection: The service was rated Requires Improvement overall. Our last report was published on 11 November 2016.

Why we inspected: This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

This announced inspection took place on 06 October 2016. This was the first inspection of the service since it registered with the Commission in 2015.

Focus Birmingham provides a personal care service for up to 14 people who all live in a complex of flats called Millward Place. At the time of our inspection all fourteen flats were occupied but only seven of the fourteen people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care. The other seven people living at Millward Place received support with maintaining their flat and accessing the community. This type of support is not regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

Millward Place had a registered manager. They were present throughout our inspection. 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 told us they felt safe receiving care from Focus Birmingham and living at Millward Place. Staff we met and spoke with had received training about the types of abuse and risks people receiving a supported living service might experience. They were confident they could identify this and were able to describe how they would report it.

Staff had received training that ensured they had the skills to work safely. This included being aware of how to handle food appropriately and how to respond to a fire in the event of an emergency. Staff had received training and checks had been made to ensure they were able to administer medicines safely.

People told us that there were not always enough staff on duty. Sometimes this meant people had to wait for their care and support and on occasions that people's activities had been cancelled or rearranged. The registered manager explained to us the work currently underway to ensure that adequate numbers of staff were provided.

People were being supported by staff they liked. The registered provider had tried to ensure staff that people knew either from the place they had lived or worked previously supported them. This helped people feel comfortable and settled in their new home and with their new care and support arrangements.

The staff had been provided with induction, supervision and training to ensure they had the skills and support required to support people well.

There were opportunities for people to purchase food and drinks that they had chosen and enjoyed. There were opportunities for people to eat together in the communal area of the flat complex. People told us both the food and the opportunity to see their friends was something they really enjoyed.

People had been supported to maintain their health and had been assisted to attend a wide range of appointments in the community and at local hospitals.

We received consistent feedback from people that the staff team all showed kindness and compassion. Members of staff we met were enthusiastic about the people they were supporting and described them with affection.

The care people received did reflect their individual needs and wishes, however people were not all certain they had been involved in writing or reviewing their plan of care. Everyone receiving personal care at Millward Place was living with visual impairment or sight loss. Records and policies including people's care plans had not been written or presented in a format that people could access or understand.

There were opportunities for people to undertake activities relating to running a home as well as opportunities to pursue a hobby or interest. People were supported and encouraged to make and maintain friendships and to see their family.

People told us they currently had no complaints but told us that they felt confident to raise any ideas or concerns with the registered manager or staff team.

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