Archived: Stephendale Road

Updated 12 April 2017

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.'

This comprehensive inspection was carried out on 24 February and 1 March 2017 by one adult social care inspector. The first day of the inspection was unannounced and we informed the registered manager that we intended to return on the second day. Prior to the inspection we checked information that we held about this service, which included notifications about events at the service that the provider is legally obliged to inform us about and the inspection report for the previous inspection in May 2015.

During our observation we spoke with three people who used the service, two senior support workers, and the registered manager. We met a local authority health and social care professional at the service on the first day of the inspection and gathered their views. A range of documents were looked at which included two care and support plans, four staff recruitment folders, records for staff training, supervision and appraisal, maintenance records for the premises, and a range of policies and procedures used by the service to inform staff how to safely meet people’s needs. We toured the premises and checked practices and records in regards to the management of medicines.

Following the inspection we spoke by telephone with the relatives of two people. We contacted two health and social care professionals for their views about the service and did not receive any comments.

Updated 12 April 2017

Stephendale Road is a six bedded care home for adults with a learning disability. Each person is provided with a single occupancy bedroom, which does not have en-suite facilities. Accommodation is arranged over three floors and there is a passenger lift. The communal areas include a lounge overlooking the back garden, a combined kitchen and dining room, toilets and bathrooms.

At the last inspection in May 2015 the service had an overall rating of Good.

We rated Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led were as Good and Safe was rated as Requires Improvement.

At this inspection we found the service continued to be Good.

There were safe systems in place to assist people with their prescribed medicines and make sure medicines were correctly stored and administered, and returned to the pharmacist if there were surplus supplies. At the previous inspection we found that a person was being supported to administer their own medicines; however the provider had not ensured that the medicines were securely kept in the person’s own room. At this inspection we found the person was being supported to keep their medicines in a secure manner.

People using the service felt safe. Staff understood about how to identify different types of abuse and report their concerns, in line with the provider’s safeguarding policy and procedure. Risk assessments were conducted to enable people to live as independently as possible, while ensuring that any risks associated with their social interests and health needs were minimised.

Sufficient staff were deployed in order to meet people’s needs within the home and support people to access community facilities. Robust recruitment practices were in place and checks were carried out to make sure prospective employees were suitable to work at the service. Staff were supported to carry out their roles and responsibilities through the provision of induction training, supervision and other training to meet the needs of people who used the service.

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. Staff were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and always asked people for their consent before providing care.

The staff team encouraged people to contribute to the planning and preparation of meals and people were supported to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.

People received appropriate support to meet their health care needs as staff attended appointments with them and assisted them to follow professional guidance related to their health and wellbeing.

People and relatives told us that staff were kind and caring. They were supported by staff to maintain important friendships and relationships, pursue favourite and new interests, and celebrate special occasions in accordance with their own wishes.

Personal care and all other aspects of people’s care and support was provided in a respectful and dignified way.

People were consulted about how they wished to be supported and were provided with information about how to access independent advocacy, if they wanted external support to express their views or make a complaint.

People were encouraged to participate in the planning and reviewing of their care and support, and were advised of their entitlement to invite friends as well as relatives to their annual review meetings.

The registered manager and staff team assisted people to find out about local amenities and resources so that people could engage in meaningful activities and try out new ventures.

People had been provided with an accessible complaints leaflet and knew how to make a complaint. They were asked for their views during the residents’ meetings and during their one to one time with their key worker.

A range of quality monitoring practices took place to check that people received a good standard of care and support. Information gathered from audits and quality assurance questionnaires was evaluated to identify ways to continue making improvements.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.