Archived: Meadow View

Updated 18 December 2019

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.

The inspection team

This inspection was carried out by an inspector.

Service and service type

Meadow View is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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 was an individual provider in day-to-day control of the home. They did not need a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. The registered provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection was announced. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people available to speak with us.

What we did before inspection

We completed our planning tool and reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affected the health, safety and welfare of people supported by the service. We looked at previous inspection reports. We also sought feedback from health and social care professionals. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the person who lived at Meadow View, the registered provider and her husband. We checked the environment was clean, personalised and a safe place for the person to live.

Updated 18 December 2019

About the service

Meadow View is registered to provide accommodation and personal care, for one person with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. Mrs Jacqueline Douglas is the registered provider of Meadow View and also the main carer. She and her husband live with the person supported. It is run as an ordinary domestic household. There was no requirement for this service to have a registered manager in place. Meadow View is one of a small number of houses situated in the hamlet of Gullom Holme, nine miles east of Penrith which is the nearest large town.

One person lived at Meadow View when we inspected. The person had lived with the registered providers for over 30 years, and was viewed as a member of the family.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

The registered provider applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for the person using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. The person’s support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

The person was safe and protected from abuse because the registered provider assessed and managed risk. The home was run as a family home by the registered provider and her husband. There were no other staff employed and the registered provider was the person’s main carer. They met the person’s care and support needs, kept them safe, managed medicines and practised good infection control.

The registered provider had the skills, knowledge and experience to provide good care. They helped the person to have maximum choice and control of their life and supported them in the least restrictive way possible. They assessed the person’s capacity to make decisions and supported them with decision making. The person saw healthcare professionals promptly to assist their health and wellbeing. The registered provider made sure the person’s nutritional needs were met. The person was involved in choosing meals and snacks. The design of the home met the person’s needs.

The registered provider continued to meet the person’s needs and preferences. The person was involved in planning their care and encouraged to make decisions. They said they were happy with their care. We saw the person enjoyed a variety of social and leisure activities and was fully involved in the extended family activities. The registered provider had assessed the person’s specific communication needs and were familiar with the ways they communicated. The person told us they knew how to make their concerns known and were confident that any problems or complaints raised would be listened to.

The providers had a good understanding of protecting and respecting people's human rights. They understood the person's needs around privacy and dignity. The person told us their bedroom had been decorated the way she had chosen. We saw it was personalised with evidence of the interests she enjoyed. The person no longer had blood relatives. However, they were treated as and felt they were part of the provider’s family.

We found the providers were open and transparent. They focused on the needs of the person who was placed at the centre of all decisions around their support. The providers always asked the person for their views and gave them time and support to express their wishes. The person clearly felt able to give their opinions and make choices about their life. The registered provider understood and acted on legal obligations, including conditions of CQC registration and those of other organisations.

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

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated good (published 08 March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.