Outlook Care - Veronica Close

Outlook Care - 86-88 Veronica Close 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.

It is a care home for up to 10 people with learning disabilities and autism. 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 in the home can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. Nine people were living in the home at the time of our inspection.

The home had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the home. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the associated regulations on how the home is run.

We made a recommendation at our last inspection, for the provider to ensure there was availability of hand sanitisers in bathrooms, to control possible spreads of infection. At this inspection, we saw the provider had made improvements to ensure infection control procedures were followed. We found all bathrooms contained sufficient amounts of anti-bacterial sanitisers and gels for people, staff and visitors to use, to help protect against the spread of infections in the home.

People received safe care and there were enough staff on duty to support people. Recruitment processes were safe, which ensured that staff were suitable to work with people who needed support. Systems were in place to ensure medicines were administered safely and when needed.

Equipment in the service was safe to use. They were maintained and serviced regularly. People lived in an environment that was clean, safe and suitable for their needs. Accidents and incidents were monitored and analysed to ensure they were minimised in future.

Staff knew how to keep people safe. Risks to them were identified and there was guidance in place for staff to minimise these risks. People were supported by staff who had received training to ensure they had the skills to support them.

People’s nutritional needs were met. Staff worked with health and social care professionals, such as speech and language therapists and GPs, to ensure that people remained healthy and well.

People were supported to have choice and remain as independent as possible. The service was compliant with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People and relatives were involved in decisions about their care. They were able to provide feedback and make suggestions about what they wanted from the service.

Staff continued to be responsive to people’s needs. They were supported by staff who knew them well. The staff were caring and treated people with respect. Their privacy and dignity were maintained.

People and relatives were involved in the development and review of their care plans, which were personalised according to each person's needs.

We saw that staff supported people patiently and were attentive to their needs. They engaged with people in a kind and considerate manner. People took part in activities and social events that they enjoyed. They were able to provide feedback and make suggestions about what they wanted from the service.

Since the last inspection, a new registered manager had started to manage the service. They had implemented systems to ensure the quality of the service was monitored regularly. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and told us the service was well-led.

86-88 Veronica Close is a registered care home providing accommodation for up to ten people with learning disabilities who require personal care. The care home service was divided into two residential units with five bedrooms in each unit. At the time of the inspection nine people were using the service. During our last inspection on 26 March 2014, we found that the service was compliant with all regulations we checked.

There was a registered manager at the service at the time of our 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 who lived at the service and their relatives felt comfortable about sharing their views and talking to the managers if they had any concerns. The registered manager demonstrated a very good understanding of their role and responsibilities, and staff told us the registered manager was always very supportive. There were systems in place to routinely monitor the safety and quality of the service provided.

We found that people were cared for by sufficient numbers of qualified and skilled staff. People felt safe staying in the service. Staff had an understanding of people’s needs and demonstrated knowledge of safeguarding people from different types of potential abuse and how to respond to abuse. People had their individual risks assessed and had plans in place to manage the risks. Medicines were administered by staff that had received training to do this. The provider had procedures in place to check that people received their medicines as prescribed to effectively and safely meet their health needs. Staff had been recruited following appropriate checks. The environment was clear of any health and safety hazards. However, the premises were not always properly maintained because there were a number of communal bathrooms that did not have soap or hand gel available in them.

Staff received one to one supervision and received regular training. People were supported to consent to care and the service operated in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which meant that their freedom was not restricted. The service had a quality check system in place when staff ended their shift and handed over to the next shift to ensure that people’s medicines and money were recorded accurately.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts and had choice over what they wanted to eat. People were supported to access healthcare professionals and their finances were managed safely and securely. People’s needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with their individual care needs. The care plans contained a good level of information setting out exactly how each person should be supported. The care plans included risk assessments including swallowing and eating guidelines. Staff had good relationships with the people using the service. We observed interactions between staff and people living in the service. Staff were caring and respected people’s wishes and their privacy. People using the service pursued their own individual activities and interests, with the support of staff. People and their relatives knew how to make complaints, compliments and comments about the service.

There was a structure in place for the management of the service. People using the service, relatives and visitors could identify who the registered manager was. There were systems in place to routinely monitor the safety and quality of the service provided.

We found area where we have made a recommendation to the service, which is detailed in the report.

The provider had ensured that staff gave people their medicines safely. We found that the building was suitable, clean and well maintained. Staff received support and training to deliver care to an appropriate standard. A person's relative told us "the staff are very good. I really cannot fault them. They certainly know their job."

People were supported and cared for according to individual assessed need and were involved in decision making about their care. There were appropriate arrangements in place to safeguard people form abuse and there were suitable numbers of trained staff to meet the needs of the service. Quality monitoring checks were in place to ensure the service met suitable standards.