Orchard Cottage

Updated 4 July 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Orchard Cottage is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Orchard Cottage is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we held about the service, including intelligence we gathered during a monitoring call with the registered manager in August 2022. We also reviewed feedback submitted by people using the service as part of our monitoring activity. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 1 person who used the service and 2 relatives and an advocate about their experience of the care provided. We met with the registered manager, deputy manager, operations manager. Spoke with 3 care workers and the positive behaviour support and health co-ordinator. We looked at written records, which included 3 people's care records and 3 staff files. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.

Updated 4 July 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Orchard Cottage is an adapted residential care home providing personal care for up to 3 people. The service is registered to provide support to younger adults with a learning disability and/or autistic people who may have care needs around their physical disability or sensory impairment. At the time of the inspection 3 people were living at Orchard Cottage.

The service had been developed and designed specifically for the individuals living there. The premises consisted of a bungalow with a communal kitchen and flat for 1 person, which had a lounge and large bedroom with ensuite's facilities. To the rear of the property, an annex was built which included 2 separate flats, consisting of an open plan lounge, kitchen and dining area and large bedrooms with en- suite facilities. They had two garden areas; one was specifically for a person who required their private space.

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

Right Support: People had received excellent care responsive to their needs. Care plans were individualised, including wishes and preferences. People and relatives were included and involved in planning personalised care. Outstanding results were achieved for people both socially and for their health needs. Risks to people were well managed through in-depth risk assessments inclusive of health conditions. Activities were individualised and meaningful to people, excellent outcomes were achieved to prevent social isolation. People received support by well trained staff, who had specific training to meet individual needs. The service had their own positive behaviour support team who were dedicated to achieve good outcomes for people. 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.

Right Care: People were cared for in the right way by staff who were kind and compassionate. We observed kind interactions by staff who knew people well. Relatives we spoke with, spoke highly of the staff and felt their loved ones were well treated, always putting their needs first. People were encouraged to remain independent and were given a choice about the care they received daily. Communication needs were explored on a personalised level to ensure this was possible. Staff were able to tell us how people preferred to communicate and had specific skill sets, such as Makaton and British sign language training.

Right Culture:

The registered manager, deputy manager and provider were visible and supportive to both people and staff. The culture of the service was friendly, open and transparent where people's and staff voices were listened to in order to continually improve the quality of care. Staff spoke highly about the registered and deputy manager and felt supported within their roles. Relatives felt leaders were inclusive and supportive at all levels to ensure both them and the person living at the service was included and empowered.

Quality assurance systems were in place to have oversight at the service. When needed actions were taken and improvements were made. The registered manager understood their regulatory responsibilities and worked in partnership with others to continually improve the service.

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 10 October 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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, which will help inform when we next inspect.