Edward House

Updated 25 August 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Edward House is a ‘care home’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included notifications about important events at the service and feedback shared directly with CQC. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We observed staff supporting people and reviewed the premises. We spoke with one person’s relative about their experience of the service. We spoke with nine members of staff including the locality manager, registered manager, the provider’s head of compliance and regulations, two senior support workers, three support workers and an agency support worker. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records, records related to accidents and incidents and people’s medicines. We looked at one staff file in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits and safety checks were reviewed. We spoke with the GP who was carrying out their weekly visit to the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate the evidence found. This included speaking with the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We spoke with a further five people’s relatives. We looked at staff training and supervision data and quality assurance records. We received feedback from a second professional who regularly visits the service.

Updated 25 August 2021

About the service

Edward House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 12 younger adults with learning disabilities and/or an autistic spectrum disorder. There were 12 people living at the service at the time of the inspection. Four people lived in separate flats, two located in the main house and two in the grounds, close to the main house.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service had made improvements to ensure risks to people, such as those related to behaviour, epilepsy and choking, were managed safely. Support plans and emergency protocols were in place to guide staff in supporting people safely. People were supported to receive their medicines safely and as prescribed. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Systems were in place to safeguard people and to protect people, staff and visitors from catching and spreading infections.

The provider and registered manager continued to improve the culture and quality of the service. Time was needed for the service and provider’s monitoring systems to become fully effective in identifying all quality concerns in the service.

The staff spoke positively about the leadership provided by the new registered manager. The registered manager and locality manager had met with families to gain their feedback and this was being acted upon. Supportive meetings had been arranged for the staff team and their views and challenges were understood and responded to.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

Based on our review of safe and well-led, this service was able to demonstrate how they were currently meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People’s feedback was used when planning their care and staff were working on new activity plans to support them to follow their individual interests and hobbies. People’s independence was encouraged and they were involved in preparing their own meals where possible. People were supported to access facilities in their local community as these re-opened. The managers at the service and staff described their priority as being to deliver person centred care, that met people’s individual needs.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was Requires Improvement (published 4 November 2020) and there were two breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found enough improvement had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 1 and 5 October 2020. Two breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and the governance of the service.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from Requires Improvement to Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Edward House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.