Background to this inspection
Updated
19 June 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
As this was a small service, the inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type:
St Anthony’s home provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people living with a learning disability and met the requirements of Registering the Right Support, a national standard for homes for people with learning difficulties.
The service had a responsible individual, who was also the manager, registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they were legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection:
The inspection took place on 2 April 2019 and was unannounced.
What we did:
Our inspection was informed by evidence we already held about the service such as notifications of events and feedback from the public. We had asked the service to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
At the inspection we spent time observing interactions between the staff and people. We also spoke with two people who were able to verbally communicate their views. We met with four staff members including the registered person and team leader. We reviewed people's care and medicines records. We checked staff recruitment, and records relating to the quality of service, the environment, staff training and the systems that demonstrated how the service was managed. After the inspection we received feedback from one health and social care professional.
Updated
19 June 2019
About the service:
St Anthony’s is a residential care home providing personal care and support for up to five people who are living with a learning disability and/or with autism. At the time of the inspection there were four people living at the service.
People’s experience of using this service:
People who lived at St Anthony’s experienced a good quality of life. People were shown respect and treated very well with kindness and care. People were involved in decisions throughout the day. They were supported to be as independent as possible and staff invested time and patience to enable people to learn new skills. Families and friends were welcomed at the home and these important relationships were supported by staff.
People experienced safe and well managed care. People’s individual needs and personalities were well understood by the staff. The staff were both competent and effective in anticipating people’s needs and managing any risks. There were no recent accidents or incidents, although staff were aware of when to report concerns and a system was in place.
The home was a comfortable place to live and was kept very clean. People had access to a pleasant garden which they enjoyed. People were involved in meal planning and cooking and ate nutritional meals. Staff sought advice from healthcare professionals to ensure people’s health and psychological concerns were always addressed.
People’s privacy was respected and their consent was sought in the most appropriate way for each person. Staff supported people to manage their own care wherever possible and worked within the requirements of the law when acting in a person’s best interests. People knew how to do complain and were provided with information about this.
People told us about activities they had enjoyed at home and in the community. We saw photos of holidays and outings which were a highlight for people. Staff made every effort to support people to live a full and interesting life and to achieve their potential. Individual communication needs were understood and any barriers were overcome.
There was stable and consistent leadership of the home and it was evident that staff enjoyed their role. The service was well organised with clear care records and the required checks in place. The home had a relaxed and inclusive culture where people and staff enjoyed time together and lived like a family. People were connected with the local community in a natural way that benefitted them and provided new experiences.
Rating at last inspection:
The last inspection report was published in September 2016 and the service was rated as Good.
Why we inspected:
We inspected the service as part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received. This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned in line with our scheduling guidance.