Archived: Coveham

Updated 15 December 2016

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 inspection took place on 6 and 17 October 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Prior to this inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service, including data about safeguarding and statutory notifications. Statutory notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing potential areas of concern at the inspection. We asked the service to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to the inspection. A PIR 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.

We spoke to everyone living at Coveham about their experience and observed the care and support provided to them. We spoke to the registered manager, three staff members, and a senior manager during the inspection and two relatives following the inspection.

We reviewed a range of documents about people’s care and how the home was managed. We looked at three care plans, medication administration records, risk assessments, accident and incident records, complaints records, policies and procedures and internal audits that had been completed.

The service was last inspected on 23 May 2014 and there were no concerns identified.

Updated 15 December 2016

The inspection took place on 6 and 17 October 2016 and was unannounced.

Coveham provides residential care for up to ten people with learning disabilities. An outreach service supporting people living in supported living accommodation also operates from the same site. At the time of the inspection there were six people living at Coveham and one person within supported living who required support with personal care.

The home had a registered manager. 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 were protected from the risk of harm as systems were in place to keep them safe. Risk assessments were completed which identified control measures to mitigate the risks of harm. Accidents and incidents were monitored and action taken to keep people safe where trends were identified. Staff had a clear understanding of how to safeguard people and knew what steps they should take if they suspected abuse.

Equipment was regularly checked and there were plans to keep people safe during significant

events such as a fire. Evacuation plans had been written for each person, to help support them safely in the event of an emergency.

Medicines were managed well and records showed that people received their medicines in accordance with prescription guidance. People were supported to maintain good health and had regular access to a range of healthcare professionals. People were supported to have a nutritious diet and were able to make choices regarding what they had to eat and drink.

There were sufficient staff deployed in the service and staff worked flexibly to meet people’s needs. Prior to starting work at the service recruitment checks were completed to help ensure only suitable staff were employed. All new staff completed an induction to enable them to learn about the service and people’s needs. Training was provided which staff told us gave them confidence in their role. Regular supervision was provided to staff to monitor their performance and staff appraisals were completed annually.

People’s legal rights were protected as the service acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Capacity assessments were completed and where best interest decisions were made relevant people were involved in the decision.

People were supported by staff who showed kindness and compassion. Their dignity and privacy was respected by staff and people were able to choose where they spent their time. Staff had a good understanding of people’s communication needs and supported people to make decisions about their care. People were supported to develop and maintain their independent living skills and were involved in decisions regarding the running of the service.

Each person had an individualised support plan in place which detailed their needs and preferences. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and we observed people’s likes and dislikes were respected. A range of activities were available both within the service and in the local community. People were supported to maintain relationships with people who were important to them.

Feedback on the quality of the service provided was obtained from people and their relatives. Annual surveys showed a high level of satisfaction and any concerns were addressed promptly. A complaints policy was in place and displayed in an easy read format. People told us they knew how to make a complaint and were confident their concerns would be addressed.

Relatives and staff told us they felt the service was well-led and that the registered manager was approachable. Regular audits of the service were completed to monitor the quality of the service provided. Action was taken to address any concerns identified.