Archived: Pizey Avenue

Updated 10 March 2015

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 25 January 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

We reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR) and previous inspection reports before the inspection. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information that we had about the service including statutory notifications. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us.

Most people who used the service had complex needs and not all people were able to verbally communicate with us. On the day of our inspection three people were at home and one person was able to tell us their experience of the service. We observed staff interactions with all the people in the communal shared areas.

We also spoke with two members of staff and the registered manager. No relatives were visiting at the time of our inspection.

We reviewed the support plans of two people who used the service and reviewed documents in relation to the quality and safety of the service, staff training and supervision.

Updated 10 March 2015

This inspection took place on 25 January 2015 and was unannounced. The previous inspection was carried out on 14 November 2013 and there had been no breaches of legal requirements at that time.

Pizey Avenue is registered to provide accommodation and personal care in the form of ‘short stay’ care for people with learning disabilities. This is also known as ‘respite’ care. Four people are able to stay at any one time and overall there are between 40 and 50 people who use the service. People’s needs are assessed by both the local authority and the service. The local authority agrees a rota for the year for people to use the service. Depending on people’s assessment outcome determines the amount of days per year a person can have.

A registered manager was in post at the time of 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.

At the time of our inspection there were three people using the service and some people told us what it was like to use the service. For other people that were unable to verbally express their views, we spent time in shared areas to observe the care that was being provided. People’s comments included: “Staff are lovely and if I didn’t feel safe and happy I would tell [name]. They are a senior staff”.

Staff received training and understood their obligations under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how it had an impact on their work. Within people’s support plans we found the service had acted in accordance with legal requirements when decisions had been made where people lacked capacity to make that decision themselves.

Staff had attended Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards training (DoLS). This is legislation to protect people who lack mental capacity and need to have their freedom restricted to keep them safe. One person in the home was subject to a DoLS authorisation. All documentation was appropriately completed that protected the person’s human rights.

We found the provider had systems in place that safeguarded people. One person we spoke with told us “I feel very safe here. I love coming here”. Staff received safeguarding adults training and staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the process and who to report concerns to.

Staffing levels were sufficient on the day of our inspection. Staff told us staffing levels were adjusted depending on the needs of people who were coming to stay.

The provider had ensured that staff had the knowledge and skills they needed to carry out their roles effectively. Training was provided about current practice guidance and staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about people’s needs. One member of staff told us how they were being supported to undertake further development training that would enhance their role and they would share this with the rest of the team.

Most people who were staying at Pizey Avenue at the time of our inspection did not require any medicines to be administered by staff. However one person managed their own medicines and a policy and arrangements were in place to ensure this was safe to do so.

People received and were involved in reviews of their care needs to ensure that staff had up to date information about how to meet their. The care reviews also ensured the support plans continued to effectively meet people’s needs. As the service provided a ‘short stay’ for people gaps between stays could be a few months. Therefore when a person returned for another visit, staff checked with family/professionals to ensure no changes in their needs had occurred.

People’s records demonstrated their involvement in their support planning and decision making processes. Pictures were used to enable people to understand what was being asked of them where they needed help with communication. One person told us how they were able to be involved at every stage of their care planning.

Staff meetings and registered manager meetings took place with the operations manager on a regular basis. Minutes were taken and any actions required were recorded and actioned.

Quality and safety in the home was monitored to support the registered manager in identifying any issues of concern. People were asked their views each time they used the service and at any reviews of their care and support needs so they could express their views and opinions about the service,

There were systems in place to obtain the views of people who used the service and their relatives and satisfaction surveys were used 2013 - 2014. This was provided in a format to meet people’s individual communication needs that used the service. The arrangements for this ‘short stay’ service are currently being reviewed by the local authority. As part of this the provider was gathering people’s views to be considered.