Archived: Byfield Court

For more details, see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

People’s experience of using this service:

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways, independence was promoted; people were supported to make choices and people were encouraged and supported to access the local community.

People’s care and support was individual and provided in a way that put them at the centre of planning.

Staff knew people well, their likes, dislikes and what was important to them.

People had various ways of communicating their needs, including using sign language or gestures. These were detailed in care plans so even new or agency staff were able to communicate individually with people.

People’s safety was managed well, including identified risks and their prescribed medicines.

There were enough staff to make sure people received the support they were assessed as needing, including going out to their chosen activities.

People were supported to make decisions and they were helped to know their rights by staff.

Staff received the training they needed to make sure they had the skills to support people’s needs.

There was an open culture, led by the registered manager who was described by staff as being approachable and supportive. People knew the registered manager, who often provided their support, and were relaxed in their company.

The provider had a good oversight of the service, using their monitoring processes to make sure people received a good quality and safe service.

Rating at last inspection: Good (Report published 7 October 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will visit the service again in the future to check if there are changes to the quality of the service.

Byfield Court is one of several small homes owned by Aitch Care Homes (London) Limited. Byfield Court provides care and accommodation for up to eleven people who have learning difficulties. The service aims to work with young and older people with autistic tendencies supporting them to gain greater independent living skills. There were eleven people living in the service when we inspected. Seven people left shortly after the start of the inspection to go out on a planned visit to a rare breed centre.

We last inspected the service on 12 January 2016. We found breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. These breaches were in relation to Regulation 17, Good governance and Regulation 18, Staffing. Following the inspection the provider sent us an action plan to show how they intended to improve the service and meet the requirements of the regulations. At this inspection we found that the provider had implemented their action plan and improvements had been made.

There was a registered manager employed at the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the home. 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 home is run. The registered manager was not available on the day of the inspection, and the deputy manager assisted with the inspection process.

People were protected against the risk of abuse. We observed that people were safe in the home. Staff had received training about recognising the signs of abuse or neglect and knew what to look out for. Both the registered manager and staff understood their role and responsibilities to report any concerns and were confident in doing so.

The home had risk assessments in place to identify and reduce risks that may be involved when meeting people’s needs. There were risk assessments related to people’s behaviour and details of how the risks could be reduced. This enabled the staff to take immediate action to minimise or prevent harm to people.

There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs and promote people’s safety. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and the lines of accountability within the home.

Staff were recruited using procedures designed to protect people from unsuitable staff. Staff were trained to meet people’s needs and had received training relevant to their roles.

The systems for the management of medicines were followed by staff and we found that people received their medicines safely. People had good access to health and social care professionals when required.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. Management understood when an application should be made. They were aware of the Supreme Court Judgement which widened and clarified the definition of a deprivation of liberty. The service was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Staff had developed positive relationships with the people who used the service. Staff were kind and respectful; we saw that they were aware of how to respect people’s privacy and dignity. People told us that they made their own choices and decisions, which were respected by staff.

People were involved in assessment and care planning processes. Their support needs, likes and lifestyle preferences had been carefully considered and were reflected within the care and support plans available.

Health action plans were in place and people had their physical health needs regularly monitored. Regular reviews were held and people were supported to attend appointments with various health and social care professionals, to ensure they received treatment and support as required.

Staff meetings took place on a regular basis. Minutes were taken and any actions required were recorded and acted on. People’s feedback was sought and used to improve their care. People knew how to make a complaint. Complaints were managed in accordance with the provider’s complaints policy.

Byfield Court is one of several small homes owned by Aitch Care Homes (London) Limited. Byfield Court provides care and accommodation for up to 11 people who have learning difficulties. The service aims to work with young people with autistic tendencies supporting them to gain greater independent living skills.

There was a registered manager at the home. 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.

Staff had not received appropriate support, supervision and appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the duties they are employed to perform.

The registered manager and provider had not regularly assessed and monitored the quality of care to ensure standards were met and maintained.

Activities in and out of the home were occurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places in the community; scattered or isolated. Staff told us activities were sporadic. We have made a recommendation about this.

People were protected against the risk of abuse. We observed that people were safe in the home. Staff had received training about recognising the signs of abuse or neglect and knew what to look out for. Both the registered manager and staff understood their role and responsibilities to report any concerns and were confident in doing so.

The home had risk assessments in place to identify and reduce risks that may be involved when meeting people’s needs. There were risk assessments related to people’s behaviour and details of how the risks could be reduced. This enabled the staff to take immediate action to minimise or prevent harm to people.

There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs and promote people’s safety. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and the lines of accountability within the home.

Staff were recruited using procedures designed to protect people from unsuitable staff. Staff were trained to meet people’s needs and had received training relevant to their roles.

The systems for the management of medicines were followed by staff and we found that people received their medicines safely. People had good access to health and social care professionals when required.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The registered manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards and the home complied with these requirements.

Staff had developed positive relationships with the people who used the service. Staff were kind and respectful; we saw that they were aware of how to respect people’s privacy and dignity. People told us that they made their own choices and decisions, which were respected by staff.

People were involved in assessment and care planning processes. Their support needs, likes and lifestyle preferences had been carefully considered and were reflected within the care and support plans available.

Health action plans were in place and people had their physical health needs regularly monitored. Regular reviews were held and people were supported to attend appointments with various health and social care professionals, to ensure they received treatment and support as required.

Staff meetings took place on a regular basis. Minutes were taken and any actions required were recorded and acted on. People’s feedback was sought and used to improve their care. People knew how to make a complaint. Complaints were managed in accordance with the provider’s complaints policy.

We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.