Archived: Cornerstones (UK) Limited - 32 Burnett Road

The inspection took place on 5 August 2016 and was unannounced. The service was last inspected in January 2014 when it was compliant with the regulations at that time.

There was a registered manager for the service. 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.

People felt safe with the staff that supported them. Staff were able to tell us what to do if they were concerned about someone. Staff were knowledgeable about the subject of abuse. They had attended training to help them understand what abuse was and how to report concerns if they had them.

There was enough staff to support people with their needs. Staff also provided a caring and effective service. People told us they were treated with care and kindness by the staff who supported them. The staff supported people with social activities, household tasks and activities of daily living. Staff knew people well and provided them with a service that met their needs.

People felt they were properly supported with their needs. People understood the aims of the service and said they were there to gain confidence and to build up more independence. They also said they were felt they were achieving these aims. People were supported by staff that had a good understanding of their needs and the care they required. The staff were trained and knew how to provide them with effective support.

People’s right to privacy was maintained. Health and safety room checks were completed in agreement with people in advance.

There were systems in place to ensure that people’s rights were protected if they did not have capacity. There was guidance in place for staff to follow about the Capacity Act 2005.

People knew how to make their views known and there was an effective system in place to receive and address complaints and concerns. The provider actively sought the views of people who used the service. This was done in a way that made it easy for people to make their views known to them.

Care records showed how people wanted support with their care to be given. Staff helped people to make choices in their daily life and encouraged them to be independent.

The provider’s visions and values included encouraging independence and providing person centred care. These were understood by staff and by people who used the service. The staff were able to demonstrate they followed these values when they assisted people with their needs.

Audits to check and monitor the care and service were completed on a regular basis. People were asked for their views of the service as part of this process.

People using the service had lived with each other for several years and said that they were 'happy with how things are'. They said that they felt listened to, and were able to do what they wanted to do. People were supported to spend their time as they wished and peoples' choices were respected.

Staff supported people in a kind and respectful manner, and peoples' views were listened to and acted upon. Care plans were person centred and individualised to meet peoples' needs. People were involved in the development of their care records.

Staff were knowledgeable about promoting people's safety, whilst also supporting people to take risks when they wanted to.

There was a stable, experienced staff team, and staff worked flexibly to ensure that peoples' needs could be met. Staff said that the morale of the team was 'high' and that they felt supported.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the care and service being provided. Appropriate formats were used to ensure that people using the service could share their views and influence service developments. There was also a three-year strategy document, which evidenced the agreed priorities for the ongoing development of the service.

People who lived in the home were positive about the service and said they were treated with respect. Each person commented they were happy living at Burnett Road. One person said "I like it here. It's fine here." We noted that staff were respectful in their approach and peoples' behaviour indicated that they felt comfortable and at ease in their conversations with staff. One person told us "They are part of my life."

People told us that staff treated them as individuals and would talk to them about changes they wanted to make to their daily routines. One person said 'yes, you can make choices.'

We spoke with staff during our visit. We saw that they had developed good relationships with people. Staff received training and guidance which helped to ensure they supported people safely.

The records held by the service were complete and kept up to date. This helped and supported staff to maintain the comfort and wellbeing of people using the service.

Having assessed the available evidence, we considered the service demonstrated how it met the safety and welfare needs of the people using the service.