Machlo

Updated 7 April 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 18 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 7 April 2021

This inspection was completed on 27 February 2108 and was unannounced.

Machlo is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Machlo primarily supports people with a learning disability and accommodates four people in one adapted building. There were three people living at Machlo at the time of the inspection.

The care service has 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.

There was a registered manager in post at the home. 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 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The previous comprehensive inspection was completed in December 2015 and the service was rated ‘Good’ overall. At this inspection, the service was rated ‘Outstanding’.

Machlo is an outstanding service. It is focussed on the individual needs of the people using the service. The service ensured that everyone received excellent, high quality, care regardless of diagnosis, age, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or social circumstances.

People and carers spoke overwhelmingly of the positive support, guidance and healthcare interventions people had received. They were full of praise for the staff in terms of their kindness and compassion. People were 'very happy' with the service they received. We received positive comments about their views and experiences. People told us they felt safe because the staff were 'Caring and enjoyed what they did'.

People and relatives we spoke with told us staff were outstandingly caring. They used words such as “Compassionate”, “Caring”, “Excellent” and “Highly motivated” to describe the staff. People and their families spoke of a service that was tailor-made for them and their families saying that staff went 'the extra mile'. Care staff spoke highly about the service provided. One said, “I love working here”. Another person said, “I am proud to be working here”. People told us they would recommend the service to others. There was a genuine sense of fondness and respect between the staff and people.

Care staff were highly motivated to providing excellent levels of personalised care. People and their relatives were positive about the care and support they received. They told us staff were very caring and kind and they felt safe living in the home. Staff worked creatively and in a highly personalised way to support people to make their views known so that they could support them to realise their aspirations. For all of the people living at Machlo, this led to significant improvements for the physical and emotional well-being.

The service was exceptionally responsive to people’s individual needs and how they chose to lead their lives. The registered manager and staff had a ‘can do’ attitude and were creative in enabling people to overcome any perceived limitations and empower people to maximise their independence. Staff worked closely with people to build their confidence, learn new life skills and maximise their independence. The registered manager and staff had an excellent understanding of people’s emotional well-being and provided appropriate support to people.

Staff had been trained in safeguarding and had a good understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures. The administration and management of medicines was safe. There were sufficient numbers of staff working at the service. There was a robust recruitment process to ensure suitable staff were recruited. Risk assessments were updated to ensure people were supported in a safe manner and risks were minimised. Where people had suffered an accident, themes and trends had been analysed, and action had been taken to ensure people were safe and plans put in place to minimise the risk of re-occurrence.

Staff had received training appropriate to their role. People were supported to access health professionals when required. They could choose what they liked to eat and drink and were supported to prepare their own meals. People were supported in an individualised way that encouraged them to be as independent as possible. People were given information about the service in ways they wanted and could understand.

The service benefitted from strong leadership and we made a recommendation to support the development of outstanding leadership. People, staff and relatives spoke positively about the registered manager. Staff were encouraged to participate in decision making and decisions around improving the service. Quality assurance checks were in place and identified actions to improve the service. The registered manager sought feedback from people and their relatives to continually improve the service.