Archived: Drayton Wood

Updated 9 June 2020

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.

Inspection team

Consisted of two inspectors, one assistant inspector, one medicines inspector and one expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Drayton Wood is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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 had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider were legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The registered manager was on leave, and the deputy manager was on sick leave at the time of the inspection visit, there was another manager overseeing the running of the service in their absence and present for our visit. We liaised with the registered manager and deputy manager on their return from leave.

Notice of inspection

This was an unannounced visit.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection:

We spoke with nine people, and observed care being provided in communal areas for people living at the service. We spoke with a member of the management team who was covering for the registered manager and deputy manager during their absence. We spoke with five members of care staff and two internal bank care staff employed by the service, and a member of the maintenance team. We reviewed eight people’s care and support records and 15 medicine management records. We spoke with one person’s relative while they were visiting. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and HR processes.

After the inspection:

We spoke with five relatives by telephone. We requested for a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, audits and information relating to the oversight of staff training and performance to be sent to us by the registered manager on their return from leave. We asked for the service to provide some additional information on actions taken at our request to address risks, following the inspection visit.

Updated 9 June 2020

About the service

Drayton Wood provides accommodation and support to a maximum of 37 people living with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders, mental health or physical health care needs. At the time of our inspection there were 34 people living at the service.

The service consisted of five houses, with single bedrooms, ensuite and communal bathroom and toilet facilities and shared lounges, kitchens and dining areas. Houses also had rooms for staff when providing “sleep in” cover over night. There was a day service unit attached to one of the houses, this offered activities to people living at the service and people attending the service who lived in the community.

The service has been designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This is designed to ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence.

There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

Environmental risks and concerns around medicines management were identified which did not always ensure people’s safety. Leadership and governance arrangements within the service were of concern, as they were not always identifying shortfalls and making changes to address them. There were breaches of regulation impacting on the quality of service provided to people.

People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible; policies and systems in the service were not followed to support good practice.

People were accessing activities and the local community. Staff mainly treated people with kindness and were polite, and we received consistently positive feedback from people’s relatives about the care provided. However, we observed concerns in relation to how staff approached a situation during the inspection.

Management plans were in place for people needing support at the end of their life. The service told us they had good working relationships with health and social care organisations to ensure people received joined up care.

The registered manager encouraged people and their relatives to give feedback on the service, and areas for improvement through questionnaires and community meetings.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good, with Requires Improvement for the responsive key question (published 13 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches of regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, consent to care and support, having good governance systems and processes in place. Staff training, competency checks, managerial oversight of staff performance and pre-employment safety checks. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good and as part of this process we will ask for the service to provide a detailed improvement plan. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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