Kenneth House

Updated 10 February 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 10 January 2017 and the provider was given 24 hours of the inspection. Kenneth House is a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day, we had to telephone the home to advise them we would be visiting so that we could be sure someone would be in and that we would be able to meet the people who lived at the home and staff. The inspection was carried out by an adult social care inspector.

Prior to our visit we looked at any information we had received about the home and any information sent to us by the provider since the home’s last inspection in 2015. We also contacted the Local Authority for their feedback on the home. They told us that they had no concerns about the service.

During the inspection we were only able to talk with one person who lived in the home, but we observed other people who lived at the home interacting with staff and each other. We spoke with two relatives, the registered manager, the house manager and a support worker.

We looked at the communal areas that people shared in the home and visited a sample of their individual bedrooms. We looked at a range of records including two care records, medication records, staff training records, health and safety records and records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 10 February 2018

Kenneth 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 care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the ‘Registering the Right Support’ and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

Kenneth House is registered to provide accommodation for up to four people who require accommodation and support with their personal care. The home is located in a residential area of Eastham. At the time of our inspection four people lived at the home.

At the last inspection the service was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

We spoke with one person who lived in the home and two relatives. They all gave positive feedback about the home and the staff who worked in it. It was clear from what people and the relatives we spoke with said that the service met their needs and that people who lived at the home were happy with the support they received. Everyone we spoke with told us the manager and all of the staff were kind, caring and compassionate.

People’s care records contained clear and easy to understand information about people’s needs and risks and how to support them effectively. Care plans were person centred and gave staff clear information about the person’s preferences and what was important to them. For those people who were unable to express their needs and wishes verbally, staff had detailed information about the behaviours, gestures and body language people would display to communicate their needs or emotions. This was good practice and enabled staff to connect with the people they were supporting.

Staff spoken with had a good knowledge of people’s needs and spoke with genuine affection about the people they supported. The atmosphere at the home was homely, relaxed and nurturing. It was clear that people felt relaxed and comfortable in the company of staff.

No new staff had been recruited since our last inspection so we did not look at recruitment records. The staff who worked at the home had done so for some time. This meant people received support from the staff who knew them well and with whom positive relationships had been built.

Staff received appropriate support and training to do their job role and staff spoken with told us the manager was supportive and managed the service well. People and the relatives we spoke with agreed with this.

Medication was managed safely and people received the medicines they needed to keep them well. People had access to a range of health and social care professionals and people had health passports in place which gave staff clear information about their physical and emotional needs and the support they required.

A person we spoke with who lived at the home told us they got enough to eat and drink and that they had a choice. People who lived at the home helped plan the weekly menu and the staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about what food and drink people liked to eat and drink.

People had access to a diverse range of person centred activities which were provided as part of the provider’s day services. Activities were social and educational in nature enabling people to develop or maintain life skills at the same time as having good fun. The person we spoke with told us that they enjoyed attending the day service. Relatives we spoke with told us they felt people enjoyed the activities on offer and that they played an important part in people’s lives.

There were a range of effective mechanisms in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and the views of people and staff were regularly sought by the manager. This was good practice.

During our visit, we had no concerns about people’s care or the service itself. We found the home to be well-run with a passionate and caring staff team.