Archived: The Greens

Updated 13 December 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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.

We carried out a comprehensive inspection on 19 October 2018 which was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the location was a small care home for people who are often out during the day and we needed to be sure that they would be in.

The team was made up of two adult social care inspectors. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

We spoke to two staff members including the registered manager. We also carried out general observations throughout the day and referred to a number of records. These included two care plans, records around medicine management, policies around the running of the service, and how the organisation audits the quality of the service. People using the service were unable to talk to us so we observed the care provided to them by staff.

We spoke to three relatives of people who use the service following the inspection by telephone.

Updated 13 December 2018

The Greens is a residential care home for three people with a learning disability and other needs. At the time of our inspection there were three people living at the service who had a range of needs such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, learning disabilities and mental health conditions.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained good.

Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff knew how to report abuse. Relatives said they felt their loved ones were safe. Risk assessments were in place and managed appropriately. Each person had a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan to help keep them safe. Medicines were stored and administered correctly. As and when medicine (PRN) protocols were in place and there were no gaps in Medicine Administration Records. We identified where guidelines were not being followed and informed the registered manager who told us this would be addressed. The environment was clean and tidy and staff were trained to ensure safe infection control was practised.

Rooms were personalised to meet each person’s individual taste. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. Staff were aware of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and people’s rights were protected. Staff had received training relevant to their roles which was up to date and had regular supervision with their line manager to discuss their performance. People had access to healthcare professionals and attended appointments to help maintain good health.

Staff were knowledgeable around people’s needs and treated them with dignity, kindness and respect by staff who knew people extremely well.. People’s independence and privacy was respected and promoted.

A wide range of meaningful activities were available for people who used the service. Care plans were detailed and accurate and reflected people’s needs, when changes occurred they were updated.

There was an open and inclusive culture within the service amongst staff and people. Relatives said that the registered manager and staff were approachable and the service had a family feel which they valued. The service was proactive in assisting people to access health care and managing their anxieties around this. The registered manager was considering ways to adapt the service and its equipment to ensure sustainability for the people living there.