Bell House Mews

Updated 22 February 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

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in 14 ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are 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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

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 who work with the service and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us 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

We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, unit manager, quality assurance manager, team leader and support worker.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 22 February 2020

About the service

Bell House Mews is a supported living accommodation for up to 14 adults with learning difficulties and/or mental health needs in their own flats, with a staff flat on site.

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

People told us they felt safe. Medicines were managed safely. Staff were recruited safely, and there were enough staff to take care of people. Support plans and risk assessments detailed what care and support people needed to reduce risk to them.

Staff received appropriate training, a plan was in place to ensure training was kept up to date. Staff were supported and felt supported by the management team. Staff received supervision. People’s needs were assessed, and outcomes recorded. People were offered a choice of food and drink. The service worked with other health care professionals.

People told us staff were kind and caring. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems at the service supported this practice. People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect, they were involved with the planning of their care and their views were listened to.

There was a complaints procedure and people knew how to complain. Peoples likes, and dislikes were recorded in people’s support plan and staff knew people and their preferences well. People’s communication needs were in their plans. People had a good range of activities in place and people were happy with what was on offer.

People spoke highly of the management team who they said was approachable and supportive. The registered manager understood the regulatory requirements. People told us they thought the service was well led.

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.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 (July 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.