Background to this inspection
Updated
25 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
The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
Service and service type
The Haven 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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. They were also the registered provider and this means that they 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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a very small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available to support the inspection. Because the service is small and people are often out we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.
What we did before the inspection
Our planning considered information we held about the service and included information about events and incidents the provider must notify us about. We asked commissioners, the local authority and social care professionals who worked with the service for their experiences.
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
During the inspection we reviewed records relevant to the running and monitoring of the service and training and development. We looked at the care records, risk assessments, new policies and procedures, maintenance records and medicines management.
We spoke with the two people who had used the service to ask about their experiences. We spoke with the registered manager who was present throughout the inspection. We observed interactions between the registered manager and people who used the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the manager to corroborate what we found. We spoke with staff at day services people attended for more feedback. We contacted family members of people who lived at The Haven who were happy to speak with us about their experiences of the service.
Updated
25 January 2020
About the service
The Haven is a small care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to three people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were two people living at the home.
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 registered manager had safeguarding procedures to protect people from the risk of abuse or unsafe care. They had received recent training on it and knew what action to take. Risk assessment identified anticipated levels of risk and helped protect the health and welfare of people who used the service. People were being supported to take their own medicines, with prompting, from a monitored dose system. The provider had policies and procedures in place for recruitment. The home was a clean and hygienic place to live.
The registered manager had the experience and skills to meet people's needs and provide good outcomes for their wellbeing and a good quality of life. People were supported to have good nutrition and hydration in line with their personal choice and their healthcare needs. The service worked with other agencies and professionals to support people's health and well-being. The domestic building was decorated and adapted to provide a homely environment and meet people's needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and were supported in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The service was homely, relaxed and a sociable, caring family environment for people where their privacy was respected and they were treated as individuals which helped protect their dignity.Their independence was promoted, their choices and preferences respected and their friendships maintained.
Care plans had been developed with people and, where appropriate, their relatives and these were reviewed. People were supported in their own social activities in the local community and their communication needs were assessed and understood by the registered manager. A complaint procedure was in place and people and their relatives were given the opportunity to give regular feedback on the service.
The registered manager used quality assurance systems that were proportionate to the small size of the service to monitor performance. They sought feedback and involvement from the people in the home and their families. They showed understanding of the importance of openness and working with families, other agencies and healthcare professionals to make sure people had the best care. We have made a recommendation about recording complex or behavioural conditions over time.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 7 January 2019). There were two breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do, and by when, to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
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.