Archived: Meadow View

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.

Meadow View is a residential care home registered to provide care and accommodation to one person who has a learning disability. Meadow View is owned by Mrs Jacqueline Douglas who is the registered provider and also the main carer. Meadow View is situated in the hamlet of Gullom Holme nine miles east of Penrith which is the nearest large town.

At the time of our inspection there was one person living in Meadow View and we were able to spend time with them during our visit. They told us they felt safe living in the home and had lived with the provider for many years.

There was no requirement for this service to have a registered manager in place. The registered provider, who was also the main carer, provided all the personal care and support to the one person who lived in Meadow View.

The registered provider was aware of her role and responsibility to keep vulnerable people free from harm and the threat of abuse. We observed warm and friendly interactions between the registered manager and person who lived in Meadow View.

We found that medicines were managed well and in line with person’s prescription. The person was encouraged to eat a healthy diet but could also choose their favourite food. Healthcare needs were met through peoples’ doctors and consultants were necessary. Dental, optical and chiropody services were accessed when required.

We noted the dependency levels of the person who lived in the home and saw these were well managed by the registered provider. The person had been fully assessed when they first moved into the home.

The commissioning authority, Flintshire County Council had provided a care plan for the registered provider and completed an annual review of the assessed needs.

The person who lived in Meadow View knew they could speak to the registered provider at any time as they considered themselves to be one of the family. They knew how to make their concerns known and were confident that any problems or complaints raised would be listened to. There was an open culture in the home with the registered provider supporting the one person who lived in Meadow View to live as fulfilling a life as possible.

We saw the person using the service was encouraged to live as independently as possible and was involved in making decisions about their care.

We found that the person who used the service was encouraged to eat a healthy, balanced diet and could choose what food they ate. The person told us they enjoyed going out to eat and that the food they ate at Meadow View was "Very good".

We found the person was encouraged to express if they were unhappy with the care they received. However, the person using the service told us "Everything's good," and, "There's nothing wrong...I'd say if there was".