3 March 2022
During a routine inspection
About the service
Baldock – The Rowans is a residential care home providing personal care to four people with a learning disability at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to five people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right support
People did not always have full access to all information about their care, in an accessible format. We recommend the provider looks at ways to ensure the systems and information is accessible to people they support and consider ways to ensure people are able to understand all the information that is captured about them.
People were encouraged to do what they wanted and to make informed decisions and this was done in a kind and considerate way.
The service worked with people to plan for when they experienced periods of distress so that their freedoms were restricted only if there was no alternative.
Staff supported people to make decisions following best practice in decision-making. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs. Staff supported people to play an active role in maintaining their own health and wellbeing
People were supported by staff to have choice of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.
Right Care
People were not always supported by a service that had systems were in place to report and respond to accidents and incidents. We found instances where there were allegations of abuse and these were not notified to CQC. Leadership was not always effective and did not identify that people were put at risk or subject to potential abuse.
Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs.
People’s care, treatment and support plans reflected their range of needs and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. People could pursue interests that were tailored to them.
Right Culture
People had risk assessments in place, which identified risks which people faced and how staff should manage these. However, staff were not always knowledgeable about the content of these risk assessments. When risks to people were identified actions to mitigate the risk were not always resolved in a timely manner which put people at risk of harm.
Staff turnover was high at the time of the inspection, which meant that at times people did not have the consistency from staff who knew them well.
People and those important to them, including advocates, were involved in planning their care.
People’s quality of support was not always enhanced by the providers quality assurance system the provider had in place. Actions were not always documented, and it was unclear if actions were completed. This meant improvements that were highlighted were not always implemented to improve the care of people.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 17 December 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.
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.
Enforcement and Recommendations
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, safeguarding issues and the lack of clear and effective governance systems in place at this inspection.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.