The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: The Lady Verdin Trust - Wellswood Drive

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

1 Wellswood Drive, Wistaston, Crewe, Cheshire, CW2 6RE (01270) 256700

Provided and run by:
The Lady Verdin Trust Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

26 October 2017

During a routine inspection

This was an announced inspection, carried out on 26 October and 2 November 2017.

1 Wellswood Drive is part of the Lady Verdin Trust and is registered to provide accommodation for three people who require support and care with their daily living. At the time of our inspection visit two people were living at the service.

The service had 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.

On our last visit in May 2015 the service was rated as good. This inspection identified that the service continued to meet all the relevant fundamental standards and the rating remains good.

Family members told us they felt people were safe living at the service. Systems were in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding people from abuse and protecting their rights. Staff were confident that they could raise any matters of concern with the registered provider or the registered manager and that they would be addressed appropriately.

People received good care and support from staff who knew them well. Robust recruitment processes were followed and there were sufficient qualified, skilled and experienced staff on duty to meet people’s needs. The registered provider ensured consistency in care as a dedicated team of staff supported the same people. This enabled people and their family members to build good working relationships and develop confidence in the support provided.

Staff understood how to meet the needs of those individuals they supported. Support plans contained relevant information to enable staff to meet and promote people’s individual needs. A new support plan document was in the process of being introduced by the registered provider to assist staff to record more detailed information about people’s personal preferences. Support plans we reviewed promoted the involvement of the person or other important people such as family members.

There were safe systems in place for the management of medicines. Medicines were administered safely and administration records were up to date. People received their medication as prescribed and staff had completed competency training in the administration and management of medication.

Risks had been appropriately assessed and staff were provided with guidance on how to protect people and themselves from each identified risk. Support plans were regularly reviewed to ensure information about people was up to date and accurate.

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.

The registered provider’s complaints procedure was robust and made accessible to people and their relevant others in a variety of formats such as a pictorial guide to raising complaints. Family members told us that they had never had reason to raise a complaint but were confident their concerns would be acted upon.

Staff were caring and they always treated people with kindness and respect. Observations showed that staff were respectful of people’s rights, choices, privacy and dignity and encouraged people to maintain their independence. Staff were skilled in recognising and using peoples preferred methods of communication.

Staff worked well with external health and social care professionals to make sure people received the care and support they needed. Staff were responsive in meeting changes to people’s health needs.

Staff received support through supervision and team meetings which enabled them to discuss any matters, such as their work or training needs. There was a programme of planned training which was relevant to the work staff carried out and the needs of the people who used the service.

The service was well managed and quality assurance systems were in place to ensure people received a safe and effective service. We were notified as required about incidents and events which had occurred at the service.

14, 18, 20 and 21 May 2015

During a routine inspection

This inspection was unannounced and took place on the 14 May 2015. A visit to the head office of the Lady Verdin Trust [The Trust] to look at training and recruitment records and phone calls to the family members of the people living in the home took places on the 18, 20 and 21 May respectively.

Wellswood Drive had 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.

The registered manager, (their job title within the organisation was community services director), did not work in the home on a daily basis. Day to day management was provided by a community support manager who had responsibility for additional services operated by the Trust and a house manager who was solely responsible for Wellswood Drive.

Wellswood Drive is part of the Lady Verdin Trust and is close to shops and other local amenities. It is located in a residential area on the outskirts of Crewe and can provide accommodation for up to three people who require support and care with their daily living. Staff members were available twenty four hours a day. At the time of our visit there were only two people living in the house and there were no immediate plans for anyone else to move in.

Because of their communication needs we were unable to ask the people living in the home about many areas of their care. One person was able to indicate by nodding to us that they liked living there and that they liked the staff members who were supporting them. We were able to speak to their family members who made a number of positive comments about the service being provided at Wellswood drive and the staff members working there. In addition to the above we did observe that the relationships between the people living in the house and the staff members supporting them were warm, respectful, dignified and with plenty of smiles.

The service had a range of policies and procedures which helped staff refer to good practice and included guidance on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. This meant that the staff members were aware of people's rights to make their own decisions. They were also aware of the need to protect people's rights if they had difficulty in making decisions for themselves.

We asked staff members about training and they confirmed that they received regular training throughout the year, they described this as their CPD [continuous professional development] training and that it was up to date.

The care files were reviewed regularly so staff knew what changes in care provision, if any, had been made. The two files we looked at both explained what was important to the individual and how best to support them. This helped to ensure that people’s needs continued to be met.

Staff members we spoke with were positive about how the home was being managed. Throughout the inspection we observed them interacting with each other in a professional manner. All of the staff members we spoke with were positive about the service and the quality of the support being provided.

We found that the provider and the home used a variety of methods in order to assess the quality of the service they were providing to people. These included regular audits on areas such as the care files, including risk assessments, medication, individual finances and staff training. The records were being maintained properly.

28 November 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke to a relative on the telephone following our visit. They spoke very positively about the quality of care being to their relative and about the staff members working there. They told us; 'I have found the care generally to be excellent. The staff are very caring and well trained. They keep me informed and I am always made to feel welcome'.

The home had an adult protection procedure [now called safeguarding] that was designed to ensure that any possible problems that arose were dealt with openly and people were protected from possible harm.

The staff we spoke with confirmed that they regularly attended training and that this was up to date.

Because of its small size the home manager and staff members were able to react quickly to any issues that may arise. These could include support or care needs, medication issues or any problems with the facilities.

20 February 2013

During a routine inspection

During this inspection we spoke to two people and they both told us they liked living in the home. When asked what they liked to eat and what they liked to do during the day one person said they didn't like chips but liked their food. Another person said they liked to play dominos and watch horror movies and also told us they liked attending their day service and said they had enjoyed the disco the night before.

We spoke to one family member on the telephone and they told us they were very happy with their relatives care and treatment they told us they were regularly consulted on their care. They said they visited the home regularly and the staff were very good. They also told us they were very involved in any decisions made in respect of their relatives care and treatment.

We were told staff knew the people who live in the home very well and had got to know what they liked and didn't like.

We saw that people's bedrooms were decorated and personalised according to their taste. Staff told us residents liked to accompany them on weekly trips.

Staff told us some people living in the home like to assist in the kitchen and we saw the kitchen had an area adapted to accommodate a wheelchair.

20 December 2011

During a routine inspection

During our inspection the people we spoke with who use the service told us it was 'their home'. We spoke with a relative who told us the care and treatment their relative was receiving was meeting the person's needs. They told us they were in regular contact with the home and were kept up to date with any changes to the care, support and welfare of their relative. They also told us they were consulted about any changes to their relatives care plans as they were able to speak on their relative's behalf.

They told us they had no concerns about the safety and welfare of people who use the service. They told us they made regular visits to the home and were in regular contact with staff and knew who to speak with if they had any concerns or worries and were confident they would be listened to.

We were also told that although the post of house manager was currently vacant, the house manager supports the registered manager with the day to day running of the home, the staff group were very competent. The relative also told us the home received regular visits from senior staff within the Trust and that staff received support and training to ensure the health and welfare of people living in the home was being maintained.