This inspection took place on 11 and 16 October 2017 and was unannounced. The service provides accommodation and personal care for up to two people with a learning disability. There were two people living at the service at time of inspection. Liphook Road is based on two floors, connected by stairs. There were bedrooms and a bathroom on first floor of the building. The ground floor had a kitchen, lounge and a garden, which people could use.A registered manager was not in post at the time of our inspection. 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. The previous registered manager had left in December 2015. The current manager had recently submitted an application to become the registered manager of the service.
The manager also managed one of the provider’s other services and subsequently divided their time between the two. There was not a clear management structure in place. In the manager’s absence, it was not always clear who the most senior member of staff was and how responsibilities for managing the service were delegated.
Not all staff followed risk assessments and guidance in order to ensure the environment at Liphook Road was safe. The service’s procedures around ensuring the safe storage of sharp objects and electrical equipment were not always followed by staff. This resulted in people potentially having access to these dangerous items.
The service did not always seek feedback in order to make improvements. The manager had identified that improvements were needed and was taking steps in seeking the feedback of people and relatives about the quality and safety of the service.
Other risks associated with people’s health and behaviour were assessed and monitored. People had access to healthcare services as required. However, people’s care plans were not always updated after these appointments to ensure that they contained the most current information. Care plans contained detailed information about people’s likes, preferences and routines. People were supported with a diet in line with their requirements, likes and cultural needs.
The management of the service had completed a series of audits and checks around the quality and safety of the service. Audits and checks had not always been effective in identifying where people’s records did not contain the most current information or embedding staff’s adherence to safety procedures about the safe storage of dangerous items.
People were supported to be active both inside and outside their home. Staff encouraged people to develop their skills, try new experiences and personalise their home environment.
There were sufficient staff in place who had received training that was appropriate to their role. The manager had recently introduced a system to ensure that staff were supported in their role through regular supervision and appraisal. Staff were knowledgeable and caring about people welfare and effective in promoting their choice, dignity and encouraging independence. Staff understood the importance of gaining consent and took steps to ensure that people’s freedoms and rights were respected.
The provider carried out internal quality assurance audits in order to identify areas for development and improvement. The manager was working through a set of actions identified from the provider’s last audit. The manager also made a series of weekly checks to assess the safety of the service.
We identified breaches of regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we have taken at the back of the full version of the report.