14 April 2015
During a routine inspection
The inspection took place on 14 April 2015 and was unannounced. The last inspection of the service took place on 1 April 2014 where we found no breaches of Regulation.
The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to four adults who have a learning disability. The provider owns and manages the next door property which is also a registered care home for four adults who have a learning disability. Although both homes are registered independently, the properties were joined by a connecting internal door and both services were run as one home with people from both houses sharing facilities, staffing, activities and meals. There were four people living in each of the homes.
There was a registered manager was 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 told us they liked living at the home and were happy there. Some of the things they said were, ‘’this house is fantastic’’, ‘’I am in the best place’’ and ‘’I am very happy here now.’’ One person told us the home and the support they received ‘’made them happy’’.
The staff told us they were well supported and enjoyed working there. They told us they cared about the people they supported and had good relationships with them.
There were procedures designed to safeguard people and the staff were aware of these. They had received relevant training and information. Risks to people’s wellbeing and safety had been identified, assessed and appropriately managed. People received their medicines in a safe way to meet their needs. There were sufficient staff employed and the provider had checked their suitability to work with vulnerable people.
The staff had the support, information and training they needed to care for people safely.
The Care Quality Commission monitors the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to make sure registered providers are acting within their legal responsibilities. The provider had assessed people’s capacity to consent. People had consented to their care. The provider had made applications in accordance with their legal responsibilities.
People were given the support they needed to stay healthy and see other healthcare professionals as needed. They had a varied and nutritious diet.
The service was caring. People who lived at the home and the staff had positive relationships. People trusted the staff and thought they were kind and caring. People’s privacy and dignity was respected. The staff met people’s diverse needs, making sure they could access services, could communicate their needs and follow their chosen religion and culture.
People had their needs assessed, recorded and regularly reviewed. There were care plans and support guidelines which explained how the staff should support people to meet their needs. People living at the home took part in a wide range of activities both in the home and in the community. They learnt new skills and were involved in shopping, cooking and cleaning at the home.
There was an appropriate complaints procedure and people knew how to make a complaint or raise concerns.
There was a registered manager who had worked at the home since it opened and knew the service well. People living there and the staff felt happy and involved in planning how the service was managed.
There were appropriate systems to monitor the quality of the service. These included asking people living at the home, staff and other stakeholders for their views. The staff and manager reviewed and analysed incidents, learning from these and managing the risks to people in a safe and positive way.