Newgate Lane

the inspection it was fully occupied.

We found the following examples of good practice.

We observed systems and processes in place, in line with guidance, to ensure visitors to the home did not introduce and spread Covid-19. All visitors, including professionals, were subject to a range of screening procedures, including showing evidence of Covid-19 vaccination and a negative lateral flow test before entry into the home was allowed.

Visitors were required to complete a COVID-19 test, had their temperature checked completed health questioning and wore PPE in line with current guidelines.

All staff had undertaken training in infection prevention and control (IPC) and PPE. Policies and audits relating to infection prevention control, including coronavirus were up to date. We saw that regular IPC audits had been undertaken and the home had actioned the findings of the audits.

Staff had plentiful access to PPE and wore this appropriately.

Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service which included guidance for staff to follow should the person display symptoms of COVID-19 and how to safely access the community

¿ Newgate lane is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided. Both were looked at during this inspection.

¿ The service provides accommodation and care for up to four adults with learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection there were 4 people living at the service.

¿ The service applied the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people could 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 meaning full lives that include control over their own lives, choice and independence.

¿ Newgate lane is part of a national organisation called Community Integrated Care which is a social care charity.

People’s experience of using this service:

¿ People received safe and effective care from staff who understood how to recognise and report issues of concern and potential abuse.

¿ The provider had effective systems in place to maintain staff’s skills and knowledge through training and development.

¿ Systems and processes were in place to monitor the quality of the service provision and to make any necessary improvements when shortfalls were identified.

¿ Peoples care plans were detailed and contained sufficient information for staff to help them meet people’s needs.

Rating at last inspection:

¿ At our last inspection, we rated the service good (report published 2nd January 2017). At this inspection, we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because the overall rating of the service has not changed since the last inspection.

Why we inspected:

¿ This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service remained rated good overall.

Follow up:

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

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

Newgate Lane is part of a national organisation called Community Integrated Care which is a social care charity. It is a care home providing care and support to four people with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection it was fully occupied.

There was a registered manager employed at this service who had been registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) only one week when we carried out the inspection but had worked at the service since April 2016. They had responsibility for four services, one of which was Newgate Lane. 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.

There was sufficient staff working at the service during the day and at night to meet people's assessed needs. They were recruited safely with references and background checks completed.

Staff were aware of who to alert if they had concerns about anyone’s safety. They had been trained to recognise abuse and had clear procedures to follow.

Medicines were managed safely although there had been some confusion because out of date records had not been archived. This was dealt with immediately. We have made a recommendation about quality assuring the service.

Risk assessments were in place where there were any environmental risks. Servicing and maintenance checks were up to date. The environment was clean, tidy and well maintained.

There were risk assessments in place relating to people’s physical and mental health which were regularly reviewed.

Accidents and incidents had been recorded and analysed.

Staff had appropriate knowledge and skills to care for the people who lived at the service. When they started working at the service they had an induction followed by training in subjects relevant to their role. Staff were supported through supervision and appraisal.

People were supported to eat and drink and were encouraged to be as independent as possible where they could. Where people required support advice from the speech and language therapy team had been sought and acted upon.

The environment was homely but modern. There were appropriate adaptations made to meet the needs of people who used the service.

Staff had a caring approach and obviously knew people well. They had good relationships with people who used the service. They were respectful when speaking with people and each person was able to communicate in a meaningful way.

People had a care and support plan which reflected their needs and wants. The plan was regularly reviewed. Within the plan was an activity support plan which outlined the activities which people enjoyed.

People knew who to complain to if they had concerns.

The service was well led by a registered manager who had been at the service for six months. They had begun to make changes which benefitted people who lived at the service. They were a visible presence within the service.

There was a quality assurance system in place with an annual audit cycle. This would benefit from being more robust in some areas.

People who used the service were not able to tell us about their involvement in the care and support they received due to difficulties with their verbal communication. During our visit we observed how staff interacted with people and involved them in their day to day routines. We found when staff supported people they demonstrated good knowledge about people's interests and preferences. We saw the staff were respectful and encouraged them warmly.

Relatives told us they had no concerns about the care and support provided at the home. One relative told us the care and support were 'exceptional' and that their relative was 'happy and safe'. Relatives said that staff ensured people were able to do the things they wanted to do and enjoyed and had full and busy lives.

During our visit we spoke with three members of staff who told us they loved working at the home and especially being able to support the people who lived there. One described the home as 'a very special place where very special people lived' and 'I love coming to work, people here are like my family'. However we found that staff training was not up to date and this meant the provider could not be sure that people always received safe and appropriate care and support.

The person with whom we were able to talk told us they liked living at Newgate Lane. They told us 'I like living here. I go out all the time'. We spoke with their family member. They told us they were 'over the moon' with the care given to their relative.

Individual needs of people had been assessed and were reviewed with care plans updated in the light of changing needs. People experienced care and support that met their needs and protected their rights.

We looked at safeguarding arrangements for staff training, talked to staff, observed practice, and reviewed care plans. We found that people were protected because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent it from happening.

Through talking to staff and one person using the service, looking at supervision, appraisal and training records and the rota for support staff, we found that people's care needs were met by competent staff.

The provider had in place effective systems system to assess and monitor the quality of service, which sought people's views and learnt from investigations into incidents.