Archived: St Anne's Community Services - Shady Trees

Updated 29 November 2018

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 25 October 2018. Our inspection was unannounced and was carried out by one adult social care inspector and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert-by-experience had a background in care for people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection, two people were staying at Shady Trees, although a total of 18 people were accessing this service for both regular and ad hoc stays.

People accessing this home were unable to communicate their opinion of the service they received. We spoke with a total of six relatives by telephone and one relative in person to ask about their experience. We also spoke with the area manager, registered manager, an interim home manager a nurse and three members of staff. We looked at two care plans as well as two people’s medication administration records.

Before our inspection, we reviewed all the information we held about the home. We contacted the local authority 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.

Before the inspection, the registered provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

Updated 29 November 2018

Shady Trees offers a nursing respite service for up to 25 adults aged 18 and over who have learning disabilities and other complex physical health needs. The home is registered to provide accommodation for people who require personal or nursing care. Up to four people can be accommodated at any one time. Shady Trees is part of St Anne's Community Services, a Voluntary Sector 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.

At the time of our inspection, the home had a registered manager, although they were working at a ‘sister’ home which needed management support. An interim home manager was in place and they were in day-to-day charge of running Shady Trees.

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.

At our last inspection we rated the service overall as good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing 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.

Relatives were satisfied their family members were safe in the care of staff at Shady Trees. The storage, administration and disposal of medicines was found to be safe. The recruitment of staffing was safe and staffing levels were calculated to meet people’s care needs. Risks had been assessed, monitored and reviewed to minimise the risk of harm to people.

Technology was used to meet people’s care needs and there were plans to further develop 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. People received prompt access to healthcare. Some meals were prepared using ingredients which met specific cultural needs. Following our discussions, the registered manager took immediate action to ensure people’s representatives were able to formally consent to this.

Staff were patient with people and knew their care needs as well as individual preferences. Privacy and dignity was maintained and staff ‘champions’ had been appointed to promote best practice.

Care planning was well managed with detailed records of people’s preferences and routines. This information was updated prior to admission and feedback was provided to relatives after each stay. Complaints were responded to appropriately and people were supported to access the local community.

Quality management systems were effective. There was evidence of continuous improvement and an open culture had been developed by the management team. Systems were in place to gather feedback from relatives who said the home was well-led. The home worked in partnership with other agencies and followed up-to-date legislation.