Background to this inspection
Updated
24 November 2017
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
The unannounced inspection visit took place on 19 October 2017 and was conducted by an inspector and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. For this inspection the expert-by-experience was familiar with learning disability services
In planning our inspection, we looked at the information we held about the service. This included a notification received from the provider about an incident where an injury was sustained. We also looked at the Provider Information Return (PIR) which is a document containing current information about the service and the provider’s assessment about how it is meeting the regulations. The PIR outlined the improvements the provider planned to make.
We contacted the local authorities who purchased the personal care packages and support on behalf of people to ask them for information about the service. We received positive feedback about the service and were not informed of any concerns.
During our inspection we spoke with all the people who lived at the service. We also observed support worker interaction with people to help gather additional information to assist our inspection findings. We also spoke with the registered manager and five support workers.
We looked at the support plans for three people to see how their support was planned and delivered. We also looked at four Medication Administration Records (MAR) and the medicine management processes and audits for the service.
We looked at the provider’s recruitment procedure for support workers, and the system for recording training and supervision of support workers.
We also looked at records relating to the management and audits of the service and reviewed the provider's policies and procedures.
In addition following the inspection visit the provider supplied further information in relation to the audits undertaken.
Updated
24 November 2017
Westbourne Care Homes is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 11 adults with learning disabilities. The building used by the service is formed from two terraced houses, with the female and male residents choosing to live separately. At the time of our inspection eight people lived at the service ( three men and five women) , all of whom had been there for over nine years.
This service was last inspected in December 2015 and was rated as good. This unannounced inspection took place on 19 October 2017 and we found that the service remained rated as good.
The service was required to have 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. The current registered manager had been in place at the date of our last inspection.
Why the service is rated good
People were protected because risk assessments had been completed to ensure people were protected from unnecessary risks but were able to experience new activities.
People's personal care and support needs were met by support workers who were available at the times needed.
People felt secure and safe in the service and with their support workers. Support workers had knowledge of the systems in place to protect people, and supported people to understand how they could protect themselves from the risk of abuse.
The provider‘s processes for recruitment of support workers complied with legal requirements. The provider also ensured the support workers employed received an induction and training to meet the needs of people using the service.
People were supported to receive the medicines prescribed by their healthcare professionals by support workers who had clear guidance about how to assist them.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and support workers assist them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.
People chose and were assisted to prepare some of their own food and drink.
People's health needs were regularly assessed and where necessary people were supported to access local health care professionals to ensure their health care needs were met.
People’s privacy and dignity needs were respected by the provider and support workers.
People contributed to the contents of their support plans which were regularly reviewed by the provider.
People were encouraged to raise concerns or make complaints about the service they received and were supported by support workers to do so.
People knew the registered manager and understood their role at the service.
The provider had management systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service and was seeking ways to further improve performance and develop support workers and to increase opportunities for people.