Cambridgeshire County Council - 20 Alder Close March

Updated 29 May 2019

The inspection:

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

Inspection team:

The announced inspection took place from 15 April 2019 and was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Cambridgeshire County Council - 20 Alder Close March is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service does not provide nursing care.

A registered manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. However, the service did not have a registered manager at the time of this inspection.

When we inspect services for people with learning disabilities we look to see whether they are providing care in with the values outlined in the CQC Policy ‘Registering the Right Support’ and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion.

Notice of inspection:

We told the provider the day before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because we wanted to make sure a manager was available to speak to us.

What we did:

Before our inspection we looked at all the information we held about the service including notifications. A notification is information about events that the registered persons are required, by law, to tell us about.

The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) on 7 March 2019. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. The manager for the service had completed an informative PIR which provided us with useful information for our inspection which we used to help us plan the inspection.

We asked for feedback from the commissioners of people’s care, representatives from the local authority and Healthwatch Cambridge to help with our planning.

We visited the service on 15 April 2019. Some of the people who use the service had complex needs, and were not able verbally to talk with us, or chose not to. In addition to speaking with three people, we used observation to gather evidence of people's experiences of the service.

During our visit to the service we also spoke with the operations manager, two senior support workers, and a support worker. We looked at records relating to five people’s care. We also looked at a range of records relating to the management of the service. These included accident and incident reports, complaints and compliments records, and audits.

We received information via email from two people’s relatives on 15 April 2019. The operations manager sent us further information relating to the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act on 16 and 18 April 2019. We received information about the service from a social care professional on 24 April 2019.

Updated 29 May 2019

About the service:

Cambridgeshire County Council - 20 Alder Close March is a care home that provides short stays for up to five people with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were four people staying at the service. In the course of a year, the service is provided to approximately 50 people.

The service consists of a bungalow which has five single bedrooms, a lounge, dining room and kitchen. It is in a residential area on the outskirts of March.

People’s experience of using this service:

The service was being developed 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.

People were protected from avoidable harm by a staff team trained and confident to recognise and report any concerns. Staff assessed and minimised any potential risks to people. Staff followed the provider’s procedures to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the risk of cross contamination. The provider had systems in place to enable staff to safely manage people’s medicines.

The provider had a system in place to make sure they only employed staff once they were satisfied of their suitability to work with people who used the service. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs safely. Staff worked well together to ensure people were safe and well cared for. Staff knew the people they cared for well and understood, and met, their needs.

People received care from staff who were trained and well supported to meet people’s assessed needs. Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink and to access external healthcare services when needed. Staff worked well with external professionals to maintain people’s physical and emotional wellbeing.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were involved in making decisions about their care and support. Where people needed additional support to make decisions, staff had referred people to external advocates.

Staff supported people in a kind, caring and compassionate way and displayed empathy for people’s feelings. Staff were respectful when they spoke with, and about, people. Staff supported people to develop their independence.

Support was person centred and met each person’s specific needs. People and their relatives were involved in their, or their family member's, care reviews. People’s care plans were in the process of being completely revised to ensure they were up-to-date, and more individualised. People’s needs were constantly reviewed, and support adapted as required. Staff supported people to take part in pastimes and interests and experience opportunities they did not have in their own homes.

The service was effectively managed and people were at the centre of the service. The provider promoted a culture that focused on people as individuals. Staff had developed positive links with outside agencies and used feedback and their experience to learn from mistakes. The provider and manager had put robust systems in place to effectively monitor the service and bring about further improvement.

People and their families felt able to raise concerns. The provider had systems in place, including a complaints procedure, to deal with any concerns or complaints.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection we rated this service good (the last report was published on 18 October 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the last rating.

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.

More information is in the detailed findings below.