Archived: Damson Care - Merryfield

Updated 15 June 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 full comprehensive inspection took place on 15 May 2018 and was undertaken by one inspector. We inspected the service because it had previously been rated 'Good', and it was time for us to return to check whether the rating continued to be 'Good'. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of our visit because it is small. We needed to be sure that someone would be available during the day so we could see and talk to them about the care provided.

Before the inspection visit we reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at the statutory notifications that had been sent to us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. We also spoke with the local authority commissioners. Commissioners are people who contract with the service, and monitor the care and support people receive when services are paid for by the local authority. They did not have any information to share with us.

During our visit we spoke with two people who lived at the home during our visit. We also spoke with the provider’s deputy manager and two support workers.

We checked two people’s care records and medication administration records. We reviewed two support workers records to check whether they had been recruited safely and were trained to deliver the care and support people required. We also reviewed health and safety records, as well as audits undertaken by the management team took to assure themselves that people received a good quality service.

Updated 15 June 2018

At the last inspection in August 2015, the service was rated 'Good'. This full comprehensive announced inspection took place on 15 May 2018. The service continued to be Good.

Merryfield 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.

Merryfield provides care and accommodation for up to three people with a diagnosis of a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. There were three people living in the home at the time of our visit.

The care service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpinned the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values included choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The service is required to have a registered manager 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. At the time of our visit a registered manager was in post.

People told us they liked their support workers and felt safe living at Merryfield. The provider's recruitment procedures minimised, as far as possible, the risks to people safety and during our visit two support workers on duty to keep people safe. Procedures were in place to protect people from harm and support workers had received the training and support they needed to be effective in their roles which included how to safeguard people from abuse.

Support workers knew people well and were knowledgeable about the risks associated with their care. Detailed risk assessments were in place to reduce and manage risks. Processes were in place to keep people safe in the event of an emergency such as a fire.

People received their medicines as prescribed and were encouraged to eat nutritionally balanced meals. People had access to health professionals, when needed, to maintain their health.

People were involved in decisions about how their home was decorated and we saw the home was clean and well maintained. Regular checks of the building and equipment took place to make sure they were safe to use.

The provider was working within the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and were supported in the least restrictive way possible.

The atmosphere at Merryfield was relaxed and people’s right to privacy was respected by support workers. People were supported to be as independent as they wished to be.

People were encouraged to maintain relationships important to them and had been involved in planning their care. Care plans were person centred and contained detailed information about people's preferences and daily routines.

People were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests and told us they knew how to make a complaint.

Support workers enjoyed working at the home and felt supported and valued by their managers. They had opportunities to attend team meetings and discuss their work practices and any developmental needs with their manager.

The management team completed effective checks of different aspects of the home to highlight any issues in the quality of the care provided, and to drive forward improvements.