This unannounced inspection took place on 14 and 15 January 2015. Orchard Close is a 14 bed service providing support and accommodation to people with mental health support needs. At the time of the inspection 11 people were living there. There are two large houses in a residential area close to public transport and other services. Each house accommodates up to seven people. The ground floors of both houses are accessible for people with mobility problems. There are also accessible shower facilities in both houses. People live in a clean and safe environment that is suitable for their needs.
The service has a registered manager. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were safe at the service. They were supported by caring staff who treated them with respect. Systems were in place to minimise risk and to ensure that people were supported as safely as possible. A care coordinator told us that the manager was “on the ball” and made sure everyone was safe.
Systems were in place to ensure that people received their prescribed medicines safely and appropriately. When appropriate people were supported to take more responsibility for their own medicines.
People were supported by staff who had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet their assessed needs, preferences and choices and to provide an effective and responsive service.
The staff team worked closely with other professionals to ensure that people were supported to receive the healthcare that they needed both in terms of their physical and mental health needs.
A social worker told us that staff had proved to be caring and friendly in their approach to working with people.
People were protected by the provider’s recruitment process which ensured that staff were suitable to work with people who need support.
People lived in a clean environment that was suitable for their needs. Improvements were needed to some of the bathing facilities and the provider was in the process of identifying funding to address this.
Staff supported people to make choices about their care. Systems were in place to ensure that their human rights were protected and that they were not unlawfully deprived of their liberty. Staff had received Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) training. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards is where a person can be deprived of their liberties where it is deemed to be in their best interests or for their own safety. Staff were aware that on occasions this was necessary. We saw that this was not thought to be necessary for any of the people who used the service.
People were encouraged and supported to maintain their independence and develop their skills. A care coordinator told us that people were empowered and encouraged to “do things.”
People were happy with the food provided and told us that they had access to drinks and snacks when they wanted these.
People were actively involved in developing their care plans and in agreeing how they should be supported.
The registered manager and the provider monitored the quality of service provided to ensure that people received a safe and effective service that met their needs.