About the service Montrose Barn is a care home that provides accommodation and personal care support for up to two adults with learning disabilities. The service specialises in the care of people who have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection two people were living at the service.
The service is in a rural location. People had their own rooms with en suite facilities.
The service had been open for some years and therefore had not been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service was rated Outstanding in Well Led at our last inspection. At this inspection the service remained Outstanding in Well Led. We found the registered manager and staff team were highly motivated and proud of the service they delivered to people. There was a visible person-centred culture at the service. There were consistently high levels of engagement with people using the service, families and other professionals. There was a strong commitment to ensure the service was inclusive and that people had the opportunity to extend their lives in the community.
The service was also Outstanding, at responding to people’s needs. Staff were exceptional in the way they supported people to learn new skills and maintain their independence. People planned for activities that met their needs and preferences and they were supported to follow their interests. A social care professional told us the service excelled at the way it supported people in promoting their independence.
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 supported this practice. People were supported by staff who knew them well and were able to communicate with them in their chosen way. This ensured people could make choices about their day to day routines.
The service had safeguarding and whistleblowing policies and procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. Appropriate recruitment checks had taken place before staff started work and there were enough staff available to meet people's care and support needs. People's medicines were managed safely. Risks to people had been assessed to ensure their needs were safely met. The service had procedures in place to reduce the risk of infections.
People were cared for by staff who worked together to meet people's individual needs. Staff felt well supported and happy in their roles. This helped to create a relaxed and happy atmosphere for people to live in.
Where restrictions had been put in place to keep people safe this had been done in line with the requirements of the legislation as laid out in the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Any restrictive practices were clearly recorded and regularly reviewed to check they were still necessary and proportionate.
People and their relatives (where appropriate) had been consulted about their care and support needs. The service had a complaints procedure in place. The service was exploring ways of identifying people’s wishes to support end of life care and support if it was required.
The registered manager had worked in partnership with health and social care providers to plan and deliver an effective service. The provider took people and their relatives views into account through satisfaction surveys. Staff enjoyed working at the home and said they received exceptional support from the registered manager.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (Published 7 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.