Background to this inspection
Updated
17 December 2020
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.
This inspection took place on 2 December 2020 and was announced.
Updated
17 December 2020
RNID Action on Hearing Loss Ransdale 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 service provides personal care to a maximum of six adults who have profound deafness or significant hearing loss and who have other disabilities or additional support needs. At the time of the inspection there were six people who used the service.
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. Registering the Right Support CQC policy.
At our last inspection in October 2015 we rated the service as Good. However, we found for people who did not always have capacity, staff had not completed mental capacity or best interest assessments. The provider wrote to us telling us the action they were to take to address this. At this inspection on 19 March and 3 April 2018 we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. However, we did rate the caring domain as outstanding and this section is lengthier to reflect our findings.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons.’ Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
The service provided outstanding care to people. Staff were exceptionally caring and inspired people to do well in achieving their goals. People were cared for by staff who knew them well and understood how to support them and maximise their potential. The service's visions and values promoted people's rights to make choices and live a dignified and fulfilled life, this was reflected in the care and support that people received. We saw that staff treated people with dignity and respect.
Staff understood people's different ways of communicating and how to make people feel valued. The home had a strong, person centred culture and staff went that extra mile for the people and families they supported. We received feedback from people, a relative and professionals which was exceptionally positive about the progress and quality of life that people experienced.
Staff understood the procedure they needed to follow if they suspected abuse might be taking place. Risks to people were identified and plans were put in place to help manage the risk and minimise them occurring. Medicines were managed safely with an effective system in place.
People and relatives told us there were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to ensure people’s needs were met. Pre-employment checks were made to reduce the likelihood of employing staff who were unsuitable to work with people.
The registered manager had systems in place for reporting, recording, and monitoring significant events, incidents and accidents. The registered manager told us that lessons were learnt when they reviewed all accidents and incidents to determine any themes or trends.
On the first day of our inspection we found the service needed redecoration and improvement. The provider did not own the building, they had a rental agreement with a landlord. The landlord was responsible for most of the refurbishment and redecoration. Where repairs had been made previously these had not been made to a high standard. In addition, essential repairs such as replacing cold smoke seals on doors following a visit from the fire authority had not been addressed. We pointed out our findings to the registered manager at the time of the visit who contacted senior management and the landlord who visited during the inspection to commence repairs and refurbishment. The registered manager contacted us after the inspection to inform us work had been completed to a good standard.
People were supported by a regular team of staff who were knowledgeable about people’s likes, dislikes and preferences. A training plan was in place and staff were suitably trained and received all the support they needed to perform their roles.
People were supported to have a good diet which met their needs and preferences. People told us they could choose what food they liked to eat and helped staff to prepare and cook this.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The premises were clean and tidy and staff followed safe infection control practices.
The service had a clear process for handling complaints. The registered manager was aware of the Accessible Information Standard that was introduced in 2016. The Accessible Information Standard is a law which aims to make sure people with a disability or sensory loss are given information they can understand, and the communication support they need. They told us they provided and accessed information for people that was understandable to them and ensured information was available in different formats and fonts.
The home was well led by an experienced registered manager and management team. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, seek people's views and make on-going improvements.