The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Choices Housing Association Limited - 63 Junction Road

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

63 Junction Road, Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 5QN (01782) 382542

Provided and run by:
Choices Housing Association Limited

All Inspections

26 August 2015 and 01 September 2015

During a routine inspection

We inspected 63 Junction Road on 26 August and 1 September 2015, which was unannounced.

63 Junction Road is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to five people. People who use the service predominately had a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were five people who used the service.

The service had 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People’s risks were assessed in a way that kept them safe whilst promoting their independence. People were kept safe because staff understood people’s individual risks and provided support whilst taking action to lower the possible risk of harm to people.

People who used the service received their medicines safely. Systems were in place that ensured people were protected from risks associated with medicines management.

We found that there were enough suitably qualified staff available to meet people’s needs in a timely manner. The registered manager made changes to staffing when people’s needs changed.

Staff were trained to carry out their role and the provider had safe recruitment procedures that ensured people were supported by suitable staff.

Staff had a good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The MCA and the DoLS set out the requirements that ensure where appropriate decisions are made in people’s best interests where they are unable to do this for themselves. People’s capacity had been assessed and staff knew how to support people in a way that was in their best interests.

People told us and we saw staff were kind and compassionate with people. We saw staff treated people with respect, gave choices and listened to what people wanted.

People’s preferences in care were recorded throughout the care plans and we saw that people were supported to be involved in hobbies and interests that were important to them.

The provider had a complaints procedure that was available to people in a format that they understood.

Staff told us that the registered manager was approachable and led the team well. The registered manager and staff all had clear values and were passionate about their role and what their support meant for people.

People, relatives and staff were encouraged to be involved in the improvement of the service and action was taken to make improvements from feedback received. The registered manager had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided.

17 July 2013

During a routine inspection

During the inspection we spoke with two people who used the service, staff who provided support and the registered manager. We also spoke with the relatives of people who were unable to communicate with us. We did this to understand the experiences of people who lived at the home.

People we spoke with told us that they were happy with the care they received. One person told us, 'The staff are good, they look after me'. Another person told us, 'I like everything here, the staff, the food and the other people who live here'. A relative we spoke with told us, 'It is absolutely wonderful, X is relaxed and staff are very caring'.

We saw that people who used the service enjoyed the meal provided and any specific dietary needs were taken in to account and monitored regularly. People we spoke with told us that they enjoyed the food and were able to choose what they wanted to eat.

The provider had an effective system in place to ensure that medicines were managed safely and people who used the service were protected from the risk of harm.

We found that the provider had undertaken the necessary checks to ensure that staff employed at the service were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

We saw that records were stored safely and securely. Care records we viewed were accurate and contained up to date details of people's support needs.

In this report the name of a registered manager, Mrs. Sandra Perkins appears, who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. Their name appears because they were still a registered manager on our register at the time.

11 December 2012

During a routine inspection

During our inspection we were able to communicate with four out of the five people who were living at the service. We talked with both members of staff on duty. We checked five staff files and training records and three of the care plans of people living at the service.

Two people who used the service were able to speak with us the others two used signing and touch to communicate with us. We were told by one person that the staff were "Kind and helpful" and that "Staff are always there if you need them, always willing to help." We were told by one person that he was "Happy here and that it was better than being on their own".

We observed staff who carried out their duties in a kind and patient manner. During lunch time staff assisted people in a dignified manner to eat. They used adapted utensils and plates to allow people in the service to help themselves as much as possible. One person in the service had chosen to cook for himself and was enabled to do this. We saw people in the service helping themselves to drinks and food and those that were unable to do so were offered food and drinks regularly by the staff.

The environment was clean and well maintained. People who lived at the service seemed relaxed and comfortable.

People using the service and staff working at the service showed that they knew each other and reacted in a positive way with each other.

8 September 2011

During a routine inspection

People told us that they were happy living at Junction Road. They talked about the many activities they were involved in, both during the day and the evenings. We observed good and very positive exchanges between people using the service and staff. We saw good communication plans in place for the two people using the service who did not have verbal communication. We observed staff communicating with these two people in a positive and fruitful way. People can clearly express their views and wishes regardless of communication skills.