Background to this inspection
Updated
12 July 2017
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 7 June 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Before our visit we reviewed information received about the service, for example the statutory notifications the service had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.
We contacted the local authority commissioning team. Commissioners are people who contract services, and monitor the care and support when services are paid for by the local authority. They had no further information about the service.
During our visit we spoke with four people who lived at Mereside. We also spoke with four staff, the deputy manager, the general manager and registered manager who was also the provider. After our visit we spoke with three relatives by telephone. We looked at two care files, medicine records, training records, accident and incident records and quality assurance documents.
Updated
12 July 2017
This inspection took place on Wednesday 7 June 2017 and was unannounced. The home was rated 'good' at our previous inspection visit on 5 January 2015, and has remained a good service.
The service is family run home for a maximum of 15 people who have learning disabilities and/or autism. At the time of our visit, there were 14 people who lived in the home. The provider was also the registered manager.
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 felt safe living at Mereside. Staff understood how to protect people from harm, and provided good support to reduce identified risks. There were enough staff available to meet people's needs, and staff recruitment procedures meant staff did not work at the home unless robust checks had been undertaken.
People and staff got on well with each other. People and relatives thought staff were very supportive and caring. People's privacy and dignity was upheld, and staff respected people's wishes. Family and friends were welcomed to visit the home at any time.
People enjoyed their meals and the choices available to them. They were encouraged to be involved, when possible, in the preparation and cooking of food.
Staff received training and support to provide effective care for people. Medicines were managed safely and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards were in place where required.
People were encouraged to be as independent as they could be, and were supported to be involved in work and leisure activities that suited their needs. People were involved in decisions about their care and support. Care and support records provided good information about people's needs, likes and dislikes.
People, relatives and staff thought the management of the home were approachable and responsive to their needs. They could informally or formally approach management with concerns or issues for discussion. No formal complaints had been made.
There were effective management systems to assure people were safe and quality care was provided.