Background to this inspection
Updated
11 August 2016
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 May 2016 and was unannounced.
Due to the complex needs of the people who lived at 129 London Road and the size of the building the inspection was undertaken by two inspectors who had experience of working with people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour.
Before the inspection we reviewed records held by CQC which included notifications, complaints and any safeguarding concerns. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing potential areas of concern at the inspection.
People were able to take part in discussions with us during the inspection and we observed interactions between people and staff. We spoke to four people, one relative, two care staff and the registered manager. We reviewed four care plans, four medicine administration records, four staff recruitment files and the records of quality assurance checks carried out by the registered manager and the provider.
After the inspection we contacted a health care professional for their views on the care people received at the home.
The service was last inspected on 29 September 2014 where no concerns were identified.
Updated
11 August 2016
129 London Road is owned by Prospect Housing and Support Services. It provides accommodation for five adults with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection five adults were resident at the service. Whilst some people were unable to take part in full discussions, we were able to speak with people and observe how they interacted with staff.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
The inspection took place on 25 May 2016 and was unannounced.
The service had sufficient staff on duty to meet the needs of the people who used the service. The provider had carried out appropriate recruitment checks to ensure staff were suitable to support people in the home. Staff received a comprehensive induction and ongoing training, tailored to the needs of the people they supported.
Risks of harm to people had been identified and clear plans and guidelines were in place to minimise these risks. Staff understood their duty should they suspect abuse was taking place, including the agencies that needed to be notified, such as the local authority safeguarding team or the police. Medicines management was good and people received their medicines when they needed them.
Staff managed medicines in a safe way and were trained in the safe administration of medicines.
In the event of an emergency people would be protected because there were clear procedures in place to evacuate the building, in a format people could understand. Each person had a plan which detailed the support they needed to get safely out of the building in an emergency.
Where people did not have the capacity to understand or consent to a decision the provider had followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). An appropriate assessment of people's ability to make decisions for themselves had been completed. Staff asked people for their permission before they provided care. Where people's liberty may be restricted to keep them safe, the provider had followed the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to ensure the person's rights were protected.
People had a good choice of food and drink available to them. People received support from staff who were confident and trained appropriately. Staff told us they felt supported and had access to the training they needed. People’s health was maintained and they were able to attend healthcare appointments if needed.
The staff were kind and caring and treated people with dignity and respect. Good interactions were seen throughout the day of our inspection with lots of laughing and joking between people and staff.
People looked relaxed and happy with the staff and relatives were able to visit at any time they wanted.
Care plans were complied with people’s involvement and were based around their individual preferences. Care plans gave a good level of detail for staff to reference if they needed to know what support was required..
People had access to a range of activities that met their needs. Some activities were based in the local community giving people access to friends and meeting new people.
A complaint policy was available to help people and relatives know how to make a complaint if they wished. We looked at the complaints log and saw none had been made. The registered manager told us that if a complaint was raised they would take action.
Quality assurance records were kept up to date to show that the provider had checked on important aspects of the management of the home. Records for checks on health and safety, infection control, and internal medicines audits were all up to date. Accident and incident records were kept, and would be analysed and used to improve the care provided to people should they happen.
People had the opportunity to be involved in how the home was managed and were supported to have some input in house meetings to give people a chance to have their say.