Background to this inspection
Updated
18 January 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
This inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
97 Old Street 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 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 24 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 available to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, assistant manager, and care staff. We could not always directly communicate with people to ask them about their experience of care and support, but we observed staff interactions with them and the care and support offered in the communal areas of the home.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and five people’s medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.
After the inspection –
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at further care plan information and rotas. We spoke with three relatives by telephone about their experience of the care provided.
Updated
18 January 2020
About the service
97 Old Street is a small residential care home providing personal care to five people, living with a learning disability, at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to five people. The care home accommodates five people in one adapted building.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures 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. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The principles of the Mental Capacity act were followed, and the provider had plans in place to ensure all decision making was recorded appropriately. By the end of the inspection documented mental capacity assessments and best interest meetings had taken place for all required areas.
Staff were trained to a good standard and could request additional training. Peoples care, and support plans were person centred and detailed. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. People were supported by staff who were kind, compassionate and caring and who understood their likes, dislikes and preferences.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were protected against the employment of unsuitable staff, staff were recruited safely. Where one person had a gap in their recruitment record this was rectified immediately by the registered manager.
The service applied the principles and values consistently 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.
The provider had a robust complaints policy in place that was accessible to people, their relatives and staff.
The provider and the registered manager had effective governance systems in place to identify concerns in the service and drive improvement.
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 (published 30 May 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.