We carried out a review of the data available to us about The New Bungalow on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about The New Bungalow, you can give feedback on this service.
The New Bungalow is a residential care home for up to six people with a learning disability who may also have a physical disability. At the time of our inspection there were five people living at the service. The New Bungalow is a detached bungalow, in the small rural village of Aldington. Each person had a single bedroom and there is a shared bathroom, shower room, and two separate toilets.
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.
Rating at last inspection
At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the 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.
Why the service is rated Good
Suitable processes were in operation to safeguard people from potential harm and abuse. Risks to people, and the environment had been assessed and mitigated. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs, and the provider had recruited them safely. People received their medicines when required, and in a safe way. People were protected by the prevention and control of infection. Accidents and incidents were recorded, and used as an opportunity to learn and improve.
People’s needs had been assessed and reviewed. Staff had the knowledge, training and support to deliver effective care and treatment. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. Staff worked in partnership externally and internally, providing people with access to on-going healthcare support. The service had been adapted to meet the needs of the people living there. 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 support this practice.
People were treated with dignity and respect by a staff team that were caring towards them. People made decisions about their care and support, and took part in reviews. People were supported to be independent, with staff respecting their privacy.
People received person centred care specific to their needs. People took part in the activities they chose and enjoyed. There had been no complaints since our last inspection. Staff knew about people’s wishes and care preference at the end of their life.
Stakeholders were united in their feedback that the service was well-led. There was a positive culture that promoted good outcomes for people. The registered manager understood and met their regulatory responsibility. People, their relatives and staff feedback was sought and used to improve the service. The manager had built good relationships with external organisations including safeguarding.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
The New Bungalow provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people with a learning disability and who may also have a physical disability. At the time of the inspection there were no vacancies. The service is provided in a detached bungalow. It is set well back from the road, up an incline and next to another service owned by the same provider. Car parking is available and it is in a rural location approximately 20 minutes’ walk from Aldington village centre. Each person has a single bedroom and there is an assisted bathroom, shower room and two separate toilets, a kitchen/diner, lounge/diner and conservatory. There is a small decked garden with a seating area and views.
Rating at last inspection
At the last inspection, the service was rated Good and Requires Improvement in the 'Safe' domain.
Why we inspected
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 24 November 2015. Beaches of legal requirements was found. After the comprehensive inspection, the provider wrote to us to say what they would do to meet legal requirements in relation to the breaches of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act Regulated Activities Regulations 2014, Safe care and treatment. We undertook this focused inspection to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for The New Bungalow on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why the service is rated Good.
People told us they felt safe living here and staff helped them when they need supported.
People received their medicines safely and when they should. There were systems in place to ensure medicines were managed safely.
Risks associated with people’s care and support were assessed and staff took steps to keep people safe and healthy whilst enabling their independence as much as possible.
Staff knew how to recognise and respond to abuse. They had received training on how to keep people safe.
People benefited from living in an environment that was homely and had equipment to meet their needs, which was regularly serviced.
Accidents and incidents were recorded and appropriate action taken to reduce the risk of further occurrences.
People were protected by safe recruitment procedures. People had their needs met by sufficient numbers of staff and staff rotas were based on people’s needs, health appointments and activities.
The inspection took place on 24 November 2015, and was unannounced. The previous inspection on 24 September 2014 found no breaches in the legal requirements.
The New Bungalow provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people with a learning disability and who may also have a physical disability. At the time of the inspection there were no vacancies. The service is provided in a detached bungalow. It is set well back from the road, up an incline and next to another service owned by the same provider. Car parking is available and it is in a rural location approximately 20 minutes’ walk from Aldington village centre. Each person has a single bedroom and there is an assisted bathroom, shower room and two separate toilets, a kitchen/diner, lounge/diner and conservatory. There is a small decked garden with a seating area and views.
The service is run by a registered manager, who was present throughout the inspection. 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 received their medicines when they should. However we found shortfalls relating to medicine management. Most risks associated with people’s care and support had been assessed, but some risks still required assessing and guidance was needed to ensure people remained healthy.
People benefited from living in an environment that was homely and had equipment to meet their needs, which was regularly serviced. However the electrical wiring certificate had expired and the wiring had not been retested. Some fire tests had not been carried out in line with the provider’s policy, to help ensure people were safe in the event of a fire.
People were involved as much as possible in the planning of their care and support. Care plans contained information about people’s wishes and preferences. They detailed people’s skills in relation to tasks and what support they required from staff, in order that their independence was maintained. There was ongoing team work to improve care plans further. People had regular reviews of their care where they or their relatives were able to discuss or express any concerns.
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 and staff meetings, 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. Staff rotas were based on people’s needs, health appointment and activities.
People were relaxed in staff’s company and staff listened and acted on what they said or their body language and gestures. People were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was respected. Staff were very kind and caring in their approach. Most staff had worked at the service for some considerable time and had built relationships with people and were familiar with their life stories and preferences.
People had a varied diet and some 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 did a variety of activities based on their choice or their health needs. Activities were chosen by people or based on what they enjoyed.
People were supported to maintain their health and attended regular appointments, assessments and check-ups. Appropriate referrals were made to health professionals and advice and guidance was followed through into practice.
People did not have any concerns, but felt comfortable in raising issues. Their feedback was gained both informally and formally. The assistant managers worked alongside staff and the registered manager 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.
There were six people who used the service at the time of our inspection. Many of the people living at the home had complex needs therefore communication with them was limited. However, we did speak with three people who used the service who were able to tell us about their experiences. We also spoke with visitors of people who used the service.
We looked at the care records of the people who used the service. Care records are documents which identify a person's needs and how staff can meet those needs, including assessments of identified risks for each person. We also looked at staff training records, care audits and policies and procedures.
We met and spoke with the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law with the registered provider. We met and spoke with three members of care staff.
Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what we observed, the records we looked at and what people using the service, their friends and relatives and the staff told us.
Is the service safe?
People who used the service benefited from safe care and support, due to good decision making and appropriate management of risks to their health, welfare and safety. Risk assessments with clear action plans helped to make sure that people were protected from foreseeable hazards.
People lived in a clean environment where the risk of infections/cross infection had been managed and reduced.
We found that people who used the service had been protected from the risk of abuse. Staff had been trained in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and understood their role in doing so. Training included the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
The CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes. No recent applications had been submitted. The registered manager knew about the briefing to providers published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April 2014 regarding the deprivation of liberty in care homes. The registered manager had attended training that covered this guidance and developed an understanding of how it is to be applied in practice.
Is the service effective?
People told us that they liked living in the home. They told us that staff were 'good'. Staff had received training which was relevant to the needs of people who used the service. Care and support provided had been effective.
A visitor told us that staff had been 'professional in how they looked after and cared for the people living here'.
Staff had reduced the risk of poor nutrition and dehydration by encouraging and supporting people to receive adequate nutrition and hydration. Food and drink met people's different needs and supported their health.
Is the service caring?
We saw that staff speak with and support people in a caring and compassionate way. People told us that the staff were, 'kind' and 'good fun'. We saw that people who used the service enjoyed and welcomed the attention of staff. A relative of a person who used the service told us that, 'The people living here are very well looked after and cared for'.
Is the service responsive?
People's needs had been assessed before care and support began. People's care plans included their life history, wishes and preferences. People told us they were given the right support and were helped in areas that were important to them. Records showed us how people's needs had been appropriately responded to and that their care, treatment and support had been regularly reviewed.
Is the service well led?
We found policies and procedures were in place that addressed important aspects of the service. A system of quality assurance to identify how to improve the service had been developed. People's views were considered about the quality of care that they received and their views had been acted on. Staff told us that they were listened to and their suggestions were considered and taken into account.
People told us they received their medicines at the times they needed them, and in a safe way.
People talked excitedly about things they liked doing and places they had visited. The atmosphere was relaxed and calm with plenty of interaction between individuals and staff. We saw that people were offered choices and were able to make their wishes and preferences known. People confirmed that they 'liked living' at The New Bungalow and they 'liked all the staff'. People received their medicines by staff adopting a sensitive and patient approach. Although we found shortfalls in medicine management. People benefited from the service having a robust recruitment procedure. People's records were stored individually and safely.
People talked excitedly about their interests and places they had visited. The atmosphere was relaxed and calm with plenty of interaction between individuals and staff. People confirmed that they liked living at The New Bungalow and they liked all the staff. They said staff helped them when they needed help. People said they liked their rooms.