New Lane

New Lane is a short-term care home for up to seven people, which was set up in partnership with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Home Based Treatment Team (HBTT) and adult social care. The aim is to support people who would otherwise be treated in hospital, in a more relaxed, homely setting. People are supported by the service, as part of a wider team, to gain skills to manage their mental health. The length of stay is aimed at crisis intervention. At the time of our inspection, there were four people using the service.

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

Thorough assessments of people’s needs, support plans and risk assessments were in place. Health and safety certificates, checks and risk were complete and up to date. Medicines were managed safely and the service adhered to appropriate infection control measures.

Staff were recruited safely and sufficient staff were deployed to ensure people’s needs were met. The support provided was person-centred and inclusive. People’s diversity was respected and their individual needs met appropriately.

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 responded in an open and honest way with regard to complaints, feedback and suggestions. These were used to inform continual improvement to service provision. There were quality assurance systems in place to help ensure a continued high standard of support.

The service worked in partnership with a number of other agencies and professionals.

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 3 October 2019).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part by notification of a specific incident. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

The overall rating for the service has remained good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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.

New Lane is a care home providing short term accommodation and personal care for to up to seven older and younger adults whom may have learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability, mental health needs, an eating disorder or misuse drugs and alcohol, in one building. The aims of the service are to provide a short-term intervention to prevent hospital admission. People could also stay at the service on discharge from hospital to be reviewed as a planned discharge to their home. At the time of our inspection, there was five people using the service.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

People felt safe while staying at the service. Known risks people presented were assessed and staff were aware of strategies to manage them. Staff members were recruited safely, and pre-employment checks were in place before they commenced employment. Medicines were safely managed. Staff administering medicines were fully trained. The health and safety of the premises was regularly monitored.

People received a detailed referral and assessment of their needs to ensure they were suitable for the service. People were supported to eat a healthy and nutritious diet. Staff supported people to attend appointments for health and welfare reasons. Staff received an appropriate induction into the service. Staff received regular training in line with their job role.

People said the staff team were kind and caring. We saw staff promoted people to remain as independent as possible and offered support when people were unwell. Staff encouraged people to make decisions about their care and their future. Staff supported people to attend meetings and plan for moving on. Staff observed people's privacy and dignity.

People had care plans in place for staff to follow. Care plans captured goals and gave staff the information needed to correctly support each person in times of crisis. People were encouraged to join local drop in groups to gain advice about housing or benefits. A robust complaints policy was in place. People were confident they could make a complaint and be responded to appropriately.

Staff felt well supported by the registered manager and enjoyed working at the service. Audits to monitor and improve the service were in place. The registered manager understood the requirements of their registration and had submitted all notifications to the Care Quality Commission as required. The local authority quality team had rated the service as compliant on their most recent visit.

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 applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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

Rating at last inspection

The rating for this service was good (published 28 March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for New Lane on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

The Respite House is registered to provide short respite breaks for up to six adults with mental health needs. At the time of the inspection there were three people using the service and another person expected later in the day. The home provides a service for people, sometimes in crisis where hospital admission is neither appropriate nor necessary. The home is situated in the Breightmet area of Bolton with shops and local amenities close by. Public transport is easily accessible.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

The building was secure and safety checks were regularly undertaken to ensure people’s safety.

There was an appropriate safeguarding policy and procedure in place and we saw that a new protocol had been put in place as a response to an incident. This showed that the service were open to reviewing and improving processes when required. Staff were aware of the procedures.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet the needs of the people who used the service. The rotas were flexible and extra staff could be put in if the need arose.

Recruitment was robust and induction for new staff was thorough. Training was on-going for staff throughout their employment. Staff supervisions were undertaken on a regular basis.

Appropriate health and safety measures were in place. Medicines systems were effective and helped ensure medicines were stored and administered safely.

The premises were in need of updating and a refurbishment was planned for the near future. There was a downstairs bedroom and toilet, but the rest of the building was not easily accessible for people with limited mobility.

There was a choice of food for people who used the service. Food and drink was available at all times, some meals were prepared for people and assistance was given with meal preparation to anyone who required it.

The service was working within the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

We observed staff interacting with people who used the service in a friendly and caring manner. People were fully involved in decisions about their support and care.

Information given to people who used the service was comprehensive. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and supported to reach their potential.

Care plans included a range of health and personal information and were person-centred. People’s preferences and wishes were recorded and responded to by the service.

Feedback was encouraged in a number of ways, such as the ‘going home questionnaire’, suggestions box, complaints procedure and informal chats. There were no complaints but the service had received a number of compliments in the form of thank you cards.

People told us staff were approachable and staff said they were well supported. Team meetings, supervisions and handovers took place regularly to help ensure staff were supported in their work.

There were a number of audits and checks carried out. These were analysed and issues identified were addressed appropriately.