Background to this inspection
Updated
11 November 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.
The inspection visit took place on 6 October 2016 and was carried out by one inspector. The inspection was announced 48 hours before we visited to establish if people living at the service would be available to talk with us and discuss how they may respond to our presence at the home.
We observed the care and support provided to people who lived at United Response-17 Ella Bank Road. People had limited verbal communication and were unable to tell us in any detail about the service they received. We spent time talking with staff and observing how they interacted with people. We also spoke to relatives to get their views on the care given to their family members and professionals who were involved with the service.
We spoke with the registered manager, a team leader, two members of support staff and one relative. We also spoke with a social worker who supported both people who used the service and we had contact with an advocacy service professional. We looked at the records of the two people who used the service and two staff records. We also reviewed quality monitoring records.
We reviewed information we held about the service, for example, notifications the provider sent to inform us of events which affected the service.
Prior to our inspection the registered manager 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. We found the information supplied reflected the service we saw.
Updated
11 November 2016
This inspection took place on 6 October 2016. The inspection was announced 48 hours before we visited to see if people living at the service would be available to talk with us.
United Response - 17 Ella Bank Road is a registered home which provides accommodation and personal care to a maximum of three people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder.. There were two people who used the service at the time of our inspection.
A requirement of the provider’s registration is that they have 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager who had been at the service three years. The registered manager’s office was situated at another of the provider’s services.
Relatives told us they felt people were safe at the home. The registered manager and staff understood how to protect people they supported from abuse, and knew what procedures to follow to report any concerns. Staff had a good understanding of risks associated with people’s care needs and how to support them.
Recruitment procedures made sure staff were of a suitable character to care for people at the home.
At times there were not enough staff to support people’s needs. People were supported, on week days, by one member of staff and the registered manager acknowledged that the morning period was busy and had contributed to numerous medicine recording issues. The provider addressed this following our inspection and extra staff were allocated to provide additional support in the morning.
Medicines were stored and administered safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed however staff were not consistently recording when they had been given. This was being addressed by the registered manager. Audits were carried out of medicines to ensure they were managed in line with good practice guidelines and issues.
People were supported to attend health care appointments when they needed to maintain their health and wellbeing. People were supported to have a nutritious diet.
Staff were kind and supportive to people’s needs and people’s privacy and dignity was respected. People were encouraged to be independent and assisted with tasks around the home and shopping.
The management and staff teams understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and supported people in line with these principles. People were supported to make everyday decisions themselves, which helped them to maintain their independence. Where people were not able to make decisions, relatives, social workers and healthcare professionals were consulted for their advice and input.
People were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests both within and outside the home. Activities were arranged according to people’s individual preferences, needs and abilities. People who lived at the service were encouraged to maintain links with their families.
Relatives knew how to make a formal complaint and were able to discuss any concerns they had with staff. At the time of our inspection no complaints had been received.
Staff felt the management team were supportive and promoted an open culture within the home. Staff were able to discuss their own development and best practice in supervision and during regular team meetings. A programme of training and induction provided staff with the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs.
The registered manager felt well supported by the provider who visited the home regularly. Their views and ideas about improving the service were encouraged.
The provider carried out audits to check the quality of care people received. Audits by the registered manager and team leader were conducted regularly to continually monitor and improve the quality of the service.