Archived: Taunton House

Taunton House is a residential care home providing personal care to four younger adults with mental health needs, at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to five people.

Taunton House is an extended property providing single bedrooms, all with ensuite facilities. People have full access to all communal areas including a lounge/dining room and a kitchen, where they can prepare some of their own meals and snacks. Outside there is a garden people can use whenever they wish to do so.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Taunton House was led by a provider who was focussed on ensuring people received a high quality, person-centred service that viewed each person as an individual with equal rights to have a happy fulfilling life. People could not identify anything they would change about the service.

The service was well managed and consistently achieved very positive outcomes for people.

People received an exceptional level of individual care, were truly respected and valued as individuals and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service. The service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. A person told us “This is the best place I’ve ever been.” A relative wrote to the service and stated, ‘Thank you so much for the excellent care and love you gave [person’s name] whilst he was with you.’ Care and support were provided in a highly personalised way.

Staff had been inspired to provide high quality care and support by a provider who people, staff, relatives, health and social care professionals described as “fantastic.” The provider had cultivated an exceptionally person-centred culture that encouraged and supported people to achieve personal goals.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service had made strong relationships with specialist health and social care professionals. These were built on mutual respect and had helped ensure people received the best possible support.

There was a very low level of staff turnover, meaning people were supported by staff who they knew and who knew them well. This helped make people feel safe and trusting of staff. Staff were recruited safely, and sufficient numbers were employed to ensure people's care and social needs were met.

People experienced safe care. Risks to people were identified and managed safely by staff who understood their responsibilities to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm. People received their medicines safely, as prescribed, from staff who had completed the required training and had their competency assessed.

High standards of cleanliness were maintained throughout the home, which reduced the risk of infection.

Staff felt valued and very well supported through a system of effective training, supervision and appraisal. Staff consistently delivered care in accordance with people's care plans and recognised best practice.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 28 June 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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

The provider was in day to day charge of the home. As the registered person they had legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People could not praise the service enough and consistently told us about the excellent care they received at Taunton House. People and staff described the service as “A home from home”.

People received exceptionally person centred and individualised care from staff who knew each person well, about their life and what mattered to them. The people living at the home experienced a level of care and support that promoted their health and wellbeing and enhanced their quality of life. Staff showed respect to people and spoke with them in a kind and caring manner.

The provider and staff worked hard to meet the social, emotional and physical needs of the people they cared for. People’s lives were enhanced by being encouraged and aided to take part in activities they enjoyed and that were meaningful to them. The provider supported people to be as independent as they could be, to be in employment and to remain a part of the community.

People were supported by enough staff who were skilled and knowledgeable in caring for people with mental health conditions. People said that they felt safe in the service. Staff were clear about their safeguarding responsibilities and knew how to recognise signs of potential abuse and how to report it.

People were supported by staff who had received an induction into the home and appropriate training, professional development and supervision to enable them to meet people’s individual needs. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and to enable them to engage with people in a relaxed and unhurried manner.

There were suitable systems in place to ensure the safe storage and administration of medicines. Medicines were administered by staff who had received appropriate training and assessments. People were supported and encouraged to see healthcare professionals, such as chiropodists, opticians, GPs and dentists when necessary.

The quality of the care and support provided in the home was closely monitored by the provider. People felt involved in the way their care was planned and delivered. They were able to provide feedback on the service they received and their concerns were addressed.

The provider understood the responsibilities of their role. Staff were aware of the provider’s vision and values, how they related to their work and spoke positively about the culture and management of the home.

There were systems in place to monitor quality and safety of the home provided. Accidents and incidents were monitored, analysed and remedial actions identified to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.