Background to this inspection
Updated
11 August 2022
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
This inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
Mpower - 22A Bromley Road is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Mpower - 22A Bromley Road is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of the inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
The first day of the inspection on 24 June 2022 was unannounced. We informed the registered manager we would be returning on 1 July 2022 to continue the inspection.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people to get their feedback about the care they received, and we carried out observations of people’s support and interactions with support staff. We spoke with the registered manager, a senior support worker and three support workers. We also spoke with three regional managers who supported the registered manager with oversight of the service. All members of staff were sent a questionnaire and we received feedback from five members of staff. We reviewed three people’s care and medicine records. We reviewed the recruitment and training records of six support workers. We looked at maintenance records for the building and quality assurance records related to all aspects of the management of the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We made calls to three family members to gather their feedback about the service.
Updated
11 August 2022
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
About the service
Mpower - 22A Bromley Road is a residential care home providing personal care for up to ten people with a learning disability and/or autistic people . At the time of the inspection ten people were living there.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support
The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs. People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms. The provider was making further improvements to the environment of the home.
The size of the service was not in line with best practice guidance for services for people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people, but we did not find evidence that the size of the service was negatively impacting on the quality of care people received. The service had improved the range of activities on offer. People were encouraged and supported to identify and take part in activities and pursue interests that were tailored to them. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs.
Right Care
People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs and promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. People’s religious and cultural needs were well supported.
People told us or communicated with us they were happy living at Mpower - 22A Bromley Road. Relatives told us their family members were happy, safe and comfortable at the service. We observed positive interactions between people and staff.
Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. There was enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.
Right culture
People received good quality care and support because trained staff could meet their needs and wishes. People led active lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff.
People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation to the wide range of strengths, impairments or sensitivities people with a learning disability and/or autistic people may have.
Despite this we found the service could do more to help people identify long term goals and aspirations and learn new skills. The provider was also not doing all they could to ensure people’s next of kin or representative was able to contribute to the formation and review of their care and support plans. We have made recommendations about supporting people to acquire and maintain skills and ensuring people and their representatives can contribute to care and support plans.
The registered manager and provider had implemented effective checks and audits on the quality and safety of 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 and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 3 May 2019) and there were breaches of regulations. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to see if improvements had been made to person-centred care and assess that the service is applying the principles of right support right care right culture. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
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 until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.