Caretech Community Services (No 2) Limited - 88 Park Road

People’s experience of using this service: People were seen to be happy and settled living at the service. People knew the care staff that supported them and were confident in approaching them with their needs.

Care staff knew people really well and communicated with them in ways which promoted their voice and independence where possible.

We observed caring interactions between people and care staff. People had established positive relationships with the care staff that supported them.

Feedback from relatives was overwhelmingly positive. They told us that they felt reassured that their relatives were safe and well cared for at the service.

Risks associated with people’s health and care needs had been assessed with clear guidance for staff on how to minimise the risk and keep people safe.

All staff working at the service understood their responsibilities around identifying and reporting their concerns, if they thought people were being abused.

People received their medicines safely, as prescribed. Policies and procedures in place supported this.

We saw sufficient numbers of staff available to support people safely. Recruitment processes in place ensured that only those staff assessed as safe to work with vulnerable adults were employed.

Care plans were person centred and detailed, giving in-depth information about the person, their life, how they wished to be supported and their future goals.

A variety of regular support mechanisms were in place for staff members which included induction, regular training, supervisions and annual appraisals.

People had good health care support. Staff worked in partnership with health and care professionals.

People and relatives were positive about the food choices on offer. People’s specialist and cultural dietary needs were met where appropriate.

Relatives knew who to speak with if they had a complaint or concern to raise and were confident their concerns would be addressed.

Checks and audits in place enabled the service to monitor, learn and improve the quality of care and support people received.

More information is in the detailed findings below.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated Good (report published September 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned for future dates.

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

Caretech Community Services (No2) Limited -88 Park Road is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to five people with learning disabilities and complex needs.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

We found that the service had adequate staff to meet the needs of the people using the service. There were safe recruitment processes in place.

The service had risk assessments to keep people and the environment safe we saw they were in the process of changing to a new format that would flag high risks more clearly.

The service had systems in place for the safe administration of medicines and medicines were stored appropriately.

The service had trained staff to equip them to undertake their role but had not provided supervision on a regular basis. However we saw that supervision had restarted prior to our visit and the service had identified the concern. Staff said they were well supported and were able to tell us clearly how they would support people.

The service was meeting people’s health and nutritional needs and supported people to access appropriate health services.

The staff were friendly and professional in their care of people. People and their families were involved in care planning and reviews but the care plans failed to reflect this. We brought this to the attention of the registered manager and we made a recommendation best practice in involving people and family’s in care planning is implemented.

The registered manager responded appropriately to complaints by acknowledging the complaint and recording and investigating the concern.

The service was well-led there was a relatively new registered manager who was making positive changes and had good lines of communication with people and staff.

Regular audits were undertaken to ensure the quality of the service and the service worked in partnership with other agencies.

Is the service safe?

Is the service effective?

Is the service caring?

Is the service responsive?

Is the service well-led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

People are treated with respect and dignity by the staff. People told us they felt safe.

Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported. We saw that care was delivered in safe, accessible surroundings that promoted people's wellbeing. The home's lounge and kitchen were all clean, and well maintained. We saw two bedrooms which were clean, bright, and tidy. Toilets and bathrooms were clean and the garden was well maintained.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs were assessed. Specialist dietary, mobility and equipment needs had been identified in care plans where required. People were encouraged and supported to eat healthy, nutritious food. People said that they had been involved in the care planning process and that they were happy with the care that was provided.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff. We saw that care workers showed patience and gave encouragement when supporting people. A relative told us, "Staff are very dedicated." People using the service, their relatives, and other professionals involved with the service were given opportunities to provide feedback Where shortfalls or concerns were raised these were addressed.

Is the service responsive?

People's needs had been assessed before they moved into the home. Records confirmed that people's preferences, interests and aspirations had been recorded and that care and support had been provided in accordance with their wishes

Is the service well-led?

The Registered Manager had been in post for many years and had a good understanding of the needs of the client group. Staff told us that the manager was "hands on' and 'she is very supportive.' A relative told us 'she does a wonderful job.'

Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities, and had a good understanding of the ethos of the home and quality assurance processes were in place. This helped to ensure that people received a good quality service at all times.

We spoke with one person using the service. They spoke positively about care and support provided. During our inspection, we observed two other people engaging with staff. They were nonverbal and their behaviour and body language suggested that they were content. Staff were communicative and attentive.

We spoke with the registered manager and one care worker. They were able to describe possible types of abuse such as physical, sexual and financial abuse and could also describe what to do in the event of a safeguarding alert.

We looked at staff training records and saw that one of the provider's seven staff members had not completed any of the mandatory training elements. The provider told us that all staff mandatory training would be up to date by the end of September 2013.

People who used the service were asked for their views about their care and they were acted on. The provider told us that they held weekly one to one meetings with people to discuss individual issues such as planned activities and also monthly meetings with all the people living at the home to discuss wider issues affecting everyone.