31 March 2015 and 9 April 2015
During a routine inspection
This unannounced inspection took place on 31 March and 9 April 2015. New Oaks can accommodate up to six people who have learning disabilities and visual impairment who need support to live in the community.
The service has 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 service met all of the Regulations we inspected at our last inspection in June 2013.People told us that they felt safe. There were good systems for making sure that staff reported any allegation or suspicion of poor practice and staff were aware of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse.
The arrangements for the storage, administration and recording of medication were good so that people were protected from possible errors.
People who lived in this home and, where appropriate, people’s relatives, told us that they were happy with the care provided. They told us how the staff asked people about what they wanted to do and what support they wanted. People told us that they were supported to attend social and educational activities of their choice. People’s relatives were encouraged to visit and were made welcome.
Throughout our inspection we saw examples of and heard about good care that helped make the home a place which felt homely and lively. People and, where appropriate, their family members were involved in the planning of the care. People were treated with dignity and respect.
Staff working in this home understood the needs of the people who lived there. We saw that staff and people living in the home communicated well with each other and that people were enabled to make choices about how they lived their lives. People and, where appropriate, their relatives, told us they were happy with their care.
Staff were appropriately trained and skilled and provided care in a safe environment. They all received a thorough induction when they started work at the home and demonstrated a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the values of the home. The staff also received on-going training to make sure that the care provided to people was safe and effective to meet their needs.
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) states what must be done to ensure that the rights of people who may lack mental capacity to make decisions are protected. The MCA Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) requires providers to submit applications to the Court of Protection for authority to deprive someone of their liberty. The registered manager and staff we spoke with understood the principles of protecting the legal and civil rights of people using the service. We did not find anyone being deprived of their liberty.
People were supported to have their mental and physical healthcare needs met and were encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staff made appropriate use of a range of health professionals and followed their advice when provided.
People were supported to eat meals which met their needs and suited their preferences.
The manager assessed and monitored the quality of care consistently. In addition to regular observations of staff, the manager consulted people in the home, their relatives and professional visitors to find out their views on the care provided. The manager checked to see if there had been changes to legislation or best practice guidance to make sure that the home continued to comply with the relevant legislation The provider encouraged feedback from people who lived in the home, their family members, advocates and professional visitors, which they used to make improvements to the service.