Elizabeth Road Care Home

Updated 23 November 2018

We carried out the inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the registered provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This was a comprehensive inspection carried out by one adult social care inspector.

This inspection was unannounced on 11 October 2018.

As part of the inspection planning we reviewed the information the registered provider had given us since the last inspection. We looked at information provided by the local authority, safeguarding team and commissioning team. Feedback we received identified no concerns about the home.

We checked the information we held about the registered provider and the home. This included statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about incidents and accidents that had occurred at the home. A notification is information about important events which occur at the home that they are required to send us by law.

During the inspection we observed the care and support of the five people living at the home. People were able to give us brief comments in relation to the support they received. We also used their responses to the staff team to make a judgement on the quality of the support they received. We spoke to one nurse, two support workers and the registered manager. We also spoke with two health and social care professionals by telephone and two relatives.

We looked at two care plan files, three staff recruitment and training files, medication administration records (MARs), complaints, policies and procedures as well as other records that related to the running of the home.

Updated 23 November 2018

This inspection was carried out on 11 October 2018 and was unannounced.

Elizabeth Road care home is a care home that supports five people. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual arrangement. CQC regulate both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection. The home is purpose-built and fitted with aids and adaptations to meet the needs of the people living there. The people supported were living with complex physical health needs and learning disabilities or autism.

The home had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include, choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The home has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is 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 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The last inspection, the service was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good. The service is rated good as it met all the requirements of the fundamental standards.

Relatives, staff and health and social care professionals all spoke positively about the staff team.

Recruitment systems at the home remained safe and sufficient staff were employed to meet the needs of people supported. All staff had completed an induction, as well as training to enable then to be effective in their role. Staff had undertaken additional training to meet the specific individual needs of the people supported. Staff received regular support and supervision for their role and told us they felt well supported.

The registered provider had safeguarding policies and procedures in place that staff were familiar with and felt confident to follow. Staff had all received training along with regular refresher updates. Staff are able to describe what abuse may look like and had all received training in this area. Staff believed any concerns they had would be promptly acted upon.

People had their needs assessed prior to moving into the home and this information was used to create individual care plans and risk assessments that included clear guidance for staff to meet people's needs. People's needs that related to age, disability, religion or other protected characteristics were considered throughout the assessment and care planning process.

Staff had developed positive working relationships with people who lived at the home. We observed positive interactions between staff and people living at the home throughout our inspection. Staff were caring and demonstrated kindness. A variety of activities were available for people to participate in.

Medicines were ordered, stored, administered and disposed of in accordance with best practice guidelines. The registered provider had medicines policies and procedures in place. Medicine administration records (MAR) were fully completed and regularly audited for accuracy.

People were supported by staff with their food and drink needs. When people have been identified as having specific dietary needs, staff had guidance available on how to support people. Speech and language therapists and dieticians were appropriately used to ensure people's individual needs were met.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and report on what we find. We saw that the registered provider had guidance available for staff in relation to the MCA. Staff had undertaken basic training and demonstrated an understanding of this. The registered provider had made appropriate applications for the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Care records reviewed included mental capacity assessments and best interest meetings.

Quality assurance systems were in place that were consistently completed. Where areas for development and improvement had been identified, action plans were created and completed. Accidents and incidents were analysed to identify trends and patterns within the home.

Policies and procedures were available for staff to offer them guidance within their role and employment. These were regularly reviewed and updated by the registered provider.

The registered provider had a clear complaints policy that was available and easy read and pictorial formats. Relatives told us they knew how to raise a complaint and felt confident any concerns they had would be listened to and acted upon.

The registered provider had displayed their ratings from the previous inspection in line with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.