26 May 2016
During a routine inspection
Glebe House Woodgate Chambers provides personal care for people with learning disabilities or who were on the autism spectrum living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection eight people were using the service.
The service had a registered manager. 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.
People told us that they felt safe when staff supported them and that there were enough staff to meet their needs.
Risk assessments were in place which set out how to support people in a safe manner. The service had safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures in place. However, people had not always been protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm. We found that an incident where money had gone missing had not been reported to other bodies such as the police or safeguarding for investigation.
People generally received their medicines as prescribed. We found that where people had missed their medicine it had not been recorded that medical advice had been sought. Staff were trained in how to administer people’s medicines and were regularly checked for their continued competency to do so.
People were receiving support from staff who had the appropriate skills and knowledge. Staff received regular training. Staff undertook an induction programme when they started work at the service.
Staff sought people’s consent prior to providing their care. Staff were working in line with the Mental Capacity Act.
People received support from staff who showed kindness and compassion. Their dignity and privacy was being protected including the safe storage of their care records. Staff knew people’s communication preferences and the provider had made information easier to read. For example, pictures were used to aid people’s understanding.
People were being supported to be as independent as they wanted to be by staff who knew their preferences. People had been involved in decisions about their support.
People had support plans that were person-centred. This meant that the support people received was focused on them as individuals. Staff knew about the people they were supporting including their interests and hobbies.
People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and were supported or prompted to access healthcare services.
People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint. The provider had a policy in place and followed this when a complaint had been received.
People were involved in the assessment and review of their needs.
People and staff felt the service was well managed. The service was well organised and led by a registered manager who understood their responsibilities under the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.
The provider carried out monitoring in relation to the quality of the service that people received.