Background to this inspection
Updated
29 December 2015
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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 13 and 16 November 2015. As people and staff were usually out during the day we gave the provider short notice of our inspection to ensure that someone would be available to meet us. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service, we looked at previous inspection reports and any notifications received by the Care Quality Commission. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to tell us about by law.
We spoke with one person who used the service, a relative, the provider and two members of staff.
Two people using the service were unable to speak with us directly about their views of the service so we observed staff carrying out their duties, communicating and interacting with people to help us understand people’s experiences of living there. We reviewed people’s records and a variety of documents. These included two people’s care plans and risk assessments, medicine administration records, the staff training and supervision records, staff rotas and quality assurance surveys and audits.
We contacted two social care professionals who had had recent contact with the service and received feedback from one.
Updated
29 December 2015
This inspection took place on 13 and 16 November 2015. As people and staff were usually out during the day we gave the provider short notice of our inspection to ensure that someone would be available to meet us. The inspection was carried out by one inspector. The previous inspection on 20 February 2014 found that there no breaches in the legal requirements.
The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care to three people who have a learning disability. There were no vacancies at the time of the inspection. The service is a semi-detached house with accommodation over two floors, which stands back a little from a road. Two bedrooms and a shower room are situated on the ground floor. Shared areas are a lounge and kitchen/diner. There is an upstairs bathroom and the third bedroom. The service has small patio garden areas and parking to the front as well as additional on street parking. People freely accessed the service and spent time where they chose.
The service does not require a registered manager as the provider manages this service and another owned by her locally. 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 legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People benefited from living in an environment and using equipment that was well maintained. However the electrical wiring certificate had expired and the wiring had not been retested.
Medicines were handled safely and people received them in line with the prescriber’s instructions.
Care plans contained information about people’s wishes and preferences and used pictures and photographs to make them more meaningful. People had regular reviews of their care and support where they were able to discuss or express any concerns or aspirations. Risks were assessed and staff took steps to keep people safe.
People were protected by safe recruitment procedures. New staff underwent an induction programme, including shadowing experienced staff, until staff were competent to work on their own. Staff received training relevant to their role. Staff had opportunities for one to one meetings, staff meetings and appraisals, to enable them to carry out their duties effectively. Some staff had gained qualifications in health and social care. People had their needs met by sufficient numbers of staff. Rotas were based on people’s needs and activities.
People were relaxed in staff’s company and staff listened and acted on what they said. People were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was respected. Staff were very kind in their approach. Most staff had worked at the service for some considerable time and had built up relationships with people and were familiar with their life stories and preferences.
People had a varied diet and were involved in choosing their meals. Staff understood people’s likes and dislikes and dietary requirements and encouraged people to eat a healthy diet. People attended day centres and did a variety of activities that they had chosen, they regularly accessed the community and had their independence encouraged where possible.
People were supported to maintain good health and attend appointments and check-ups. Appropriate referrals were made to health professionals if and when required.
People did not have any concerns, but felt comfortable in raising issues. Their feedback was gained both informally and formally. The provider and deputy manager worked alongside staff and took action to address any concerns or issues straightaway to help ensure the service ran smoothly.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this report.