Background to this inspection
Updated
18 November 2020
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.
Service and service type
Capricorn Cottage is a care home. People at the home receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
There was not currently a registered manager for this service. However, the current manager had completed an application to register with the Care Quality Commission. The provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we wanted to gather information from the home before the inspection, so we could minimise our time at the service in line with our policies during the COVID pandemic.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the relatives of three people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the manager and three care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and multiple medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
Updated
18 November 2020
About the service
Capricorn Cottage is a residential care home providing personal care to 34 people with a learning disability or mental health diagnosis.
Care Homes
Capricorn Cottage accommodates 34 people in one purpose-built bungalow. Separate areas of the home are kept for people using the service to transition to different care settings.
The service is registered to provide support to up to 34 people and there were 29 people using the service at the time of our inspection. The service is larger than recommended by best practice guidance. However, we have rated this service good because the service was managed to maximise people’s independence and to support their independence, choice, control and involvement in the community.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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.
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 provider had taken action to keep people safe from the risk of infection. Staff followed good practice guidance in the use of protective equipment. Medicines were well-managed, and people received their medicines on time and in line with their prescriptions.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Risks to people had been assessed and care was planned to keep people safe and increase their well-being.
The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided and took action to improve the service when needed. The provider ensured that people and their relatives were involved in the care provided and gathered their views on a regular basis.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection (and update)
The last rating for this service was Good (published 14 December 2018).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part by notification of a specific incident when eight people using the service had money stolen from their accounts. This incident is subject to a criminal investigation. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
We have found evidence that the provider took action following the theft to keep people safe from further financial abuse. Please see the safe section of this full report.
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.