We carried out a review of the data available to us about Smithy Forge on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Smithy Forge, you can give feedback on this service.
At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
We spoke with three people who lived in the home who all gave positive feedback about the home and the staff who worked in it.
Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed training had been provided to enable them to support the people with their specific needs. We found staff were knowledgeable about the support needs of people in their care. We observed staff providing support to people throughout our inspection visit. We saw they had positive relationships with the people in their care as they had been supporting them for a long time as there had been no staffing changes and no new people coming to live in the home for over 10 years.
We found medication procedures at the home were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required.
The registered manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions. We saw that people were supported to make their own decisions and their choices were respected.
Care plans were person centred and driven by the people who lived who lived in the home. We saw clear one page profiles that gave clear information about the most important aspects of their care for that person. They detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for. They were regularly reviewed and updated as required.
The registered manager and the provider used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits of the service and staff meetings to seek the views of staff about the service. The staff team were consistent and long standing. They demonstrated that they were committed to providing the best care possible for the people living in the home.
This inspection took place on the 20 November 2015 and was unannounced.
Smithy Forge is a detached modern house in a residential neighbourhood, providing care for six adults with a learning disability. It is close to local community facilities including shops, churches and leisure facilities. It has good access to public transport including bus routes and train station.
The home has a registered manager who has been in post since the home opened. 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.
Prior to this inspection we received feedback from the local authority who commissioned the care for five of the people who lived in the home. They told us that they thought the care was good.
We found that the experiences of people who lived at the home were positive. People told us they felt safe living at the home, staff were kind and they liked living there.
People were safeguarded from abuse and the risk of abuse because staff knew what constituted abuse and who to report it to.
People were supported to be as independent as they were able to be through the effective use of risk assessments and the staff knowledge of them.
There were enough suitably qualified staff who had been recruited using safe recruitment procedures to maintain people’s safety and to support people in hobbies and activities of their choice. Staff felt supported to fulfil their role effectively through regular support, supervision and training applicable to their role.
People’s medicines were stored and administered safely by trained staff.
People’s mental capacity had been assessed and staff knew how to support people in a way that was in
their best interest and was the least restrictive. People and their representatives were involved in decisions relating to their care, treatment and support. Care was planned and delivered based on people’s preferences and regularly reviewed.
People were supported to have a healthy diet and could choose what they would like to eat and drink.
People had access to a range of health professionals and staff supported them to attend health appointments when necessary.
People were treated with kindness and respect and were consulted about how the service was run. They had opportunities to be involved in the community and to participate in hobbies and interests of their choice.
The registered providers demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement and had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service.
We spoke with the staff members on duty during the visit. They were knowledgeable about the different needs of the people living at Smithy Forge and how they showed their feelings and views.
Menus and shopping for food were planned and undertaken with the people who lived in the home on a weekly basis. This was done by discussing likes/dislikes and what people felt like eating. This provided a very flexible menu for people.
Policies and procedures were in place to help ensure that people's medication was being managed appropriately and that they were being given their medicines as prescribed.
Information about the safety and quality of service provided was gathered on a continuous and ongoing basis from feedback from the people who used the service.
We spoke with all six of the people living in the home at the time; all of them told us that they liked living there.
Although we did not receive any direct comments regarding staff recruitment during this visit. We did observe that the relationships between the people using the service and the staff members were warm and relaxed.