Catherine House

Updated 19 May 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 Care Act 2014.

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

Two inspectors carried out the inspection.

Service and service type

Catherine House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service is a single provider and is not required to have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service one hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 31 March 2022 and ended on 25 April 2022. We visited the service on 31 March 2022 and 12 April 2022.

What we did before inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed previous inspection reports and other information we held about the home including statutory notifications. A statutory notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We reviewed information shared with us by the local authority.

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 used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

Inspectors visited Catherine House on 31 March and 12 April 2022 and looked around the home and observed staff supporting people. They spent time with three of the people living in the home and communicated with them and a relative collecting a person for an outing. People we met had different levels of ability to communicate their views with us. However, one person was able to express themselves and tell us about the care and support they received.

We spoke with the provider, service manager, deputy manager, health and safety co-ordinator and three support staff.

We contacted four relatives and six health and social care professionals to ask their views about the service. We spoke with one relative and received feedback from another. We also received feedback from a health and social care professional.

We looked at detailed care records for one person and a sample of medication records. We also looked at the management of people’s personal money.

The provider sent us a variety of records relating to the management of the service so we could review, including policies and procedures, audits, recruitment documents, supervision program, an external company’s audits and the provider’s business and development plan.

Updated 19 May 2022

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

Catherine House provides care and accommodation for up to five people who have Learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. At the time of the inspection three people were living at the service and one person staying for a period of respite. The service was based in a large town house in the market town of Taunton with close access to local amenities.

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

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.

Right support:

People were supported to have choice and control over their own lives. 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 did support this practice.

Infection control procedures and measures were in place to protect people from infection control risks associated with COVID-19.

Staff supported people to take part in home-based activities, for example cooking and playing pool. People were also supported to pursue interests in their local area. This included going bowling and to the cinema. One person attended college and undertook work experience, and another attended a day service. On the day of our inspection two people were going to town shopping.

Staff supported people safely with their medicines and worked with health professionals to achieve good health outcomes.

Environmental risks to people were managed safely. People’s rooms were personalised with their personal possessions. The main communal area was bright and clean, and people had access to a rear enclosed garden.

Right Care

People received care, which was personalised, and the service was responsive to the needs of the people. Care plans and risk assessments were in place, which provided staff with guidance on how to meet people's needs and manage identified risks.

People were protected from risks associated with their health, safety and welfare.

People were kept safe from avoidable harm because staff knew how to recognise and report abuse or poor care.

People were supported to maintain good health and were referred to appropriate health professionals as required.

People were supported to eat and drink in accordance with their preferences and choices.

People were supported to receive their medicines safely and as prescribed.

Right culture

There was a relaxed and happy atmosphere in the home, staff were friendly and supportive.

The management team was were very open and said they had recognised improvements of the service were needed to improve things for people living there. This included improved quality monitoring and more robust documentation regarding concerns.

People received care and support from a consistent staffing team who had been recruited safely and in sufficient numbers to meet their needs. They had received training and support which enabled them to support people to meet their needs.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The rating at the last inspection was Good. (Published December 2020)

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted due to concerns raised by the local authority in relation to poor provider communication and concerns raised by a relative of a person who used the service and a relative of a person who had used the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine the risks raised with us. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns.

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

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.