Archived: Keepers Cottage

Keepers Cottage is a care home that provides a service for eight people who have learning disabilities. Keepers cottage is part of a charity organisation. At the time of our inspection there were eight people living at the service.

There was a registered manager for this service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered providers and registered managers 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.

All the people and their relatives we spoke with said the way people were supported at this home made a difference to their lives. They all said the staff and management team were caring and always treated them with dignity and respect. People explained how staff supported them to achieve their chosen goals which improved their well-being. Relatives told us they were involved as part of the team to support their family member. People overwhelmingly said how happy they were to be living at the home.

People told us they were empowered by staff and the management team keep control over their own lives. The management team had a clear ethos that people using the service were at the heart of everything they did. This was demonstrated by people living at the home being involved in decisions about quality assurance and developments at the home. One person had been involved with national feedback, to the charity board, from their perspective about the support they received.

People told us they were important to the staff and the management team. They said they were regularly asked their views about if they were happy with the support they received. People who lived at the home had regular meetings where they could discuss any aspect of their support.

People we spoke with said they had support from regular staff who knew them well. Staff we spoke with recognised the different types of abuse. There were systems in place to guide staff in reporting any concerns. Staff were knowledgeable about how to manage people’s individual risks, these focussed on supporting people to achieve their goals. People were supported to receive their medicines by staff who were trained and knew about the risks associated with people’s medicines..

Staff had up to date knowledge and training to support people living at the home. Staff always ensured people agreed to the support they received. The management team regularly reviewed how people were supported to make decisions. People were encouraged to make their own choices about the food they ate. They explained that they were supported to make their own decisions and be as independent as they could. People and their relatives told us staff would access health professionals as soon as they were needed.

People and their relatives knew how to raise complaints and the management team had arrangements in place to ensure people were listened to and appropriate action taken. Staff were involved in regular meetings and one to one’s to share their views and concerns about the quality of the service. People and staff said the management team were accessible and supportive to them. The management team were adaptable to changes in peoples’ needs and staff knew people well to recognise when additional support was needed.

The management team monitored the quality of the service in an open way. The registered manager ensured there was a culture of openness and inclusion for people using the service and staff. The management team had systems in place to identify improvements and action them in a timely way. They involved people living at the home through their management systems to ensure they were at the heart of decisions made about the service.

We were shown around the building by the registered manager. All areas of the building were furnished and maintained to a high standard. The people we asked were happy to show us their bedrooms which were well-furnished with their own belongings.

We spoke with the staff on duty who told us that they enjoyed their job and working with the people to enable them to do things. One of them said, 'I have had a lovely morning working with one of the people to help them prepare for their annual review meeting.'

We were told by the staff that the organisation and the manager gave them a high level of support. We were told that they felt the manager listened to their ideas and supported them with any training or developments they wanted to undertake.

We met seven of the eight people living at Keepers Cottage. We spoke with the manager and three staff. The manager had previously worked for the provider in other posts. They became manager at Keepers Cottage three weeks before our inspection.

People were positive about the care and support they received. There was a lively and friendly atmosphere and people were very relaxed. One person told us that Keepers Cottage was, 'An excellent place'. Another said, 'I am very happy here'. The provider had arranged contact with an advocate to support people to have their voice heard.

People lived varied lives and chose how to spend their time. Staff supported people to look after their health. People were encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and use local community facilities.

There was information available about the action to take if a person was at risk of harm. Staff were trained to know how to report any concerns. People told us they could tell the staff if something was wrong.

There were suitable recruitment procedures. This reduced the risk of unsuitable people being employed to work at the home.

People told us that they could tell the manager or staff if they were concerned or unhappy about anything.