Crann Dara

Updated 6 July 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

One inspector carried out the inspection.

Service and service type

Crann Dara is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Crann Dara is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We spoke with 2 people and 3 relatives, as well as 4 staff members including the registered manager. We reviewed 3 people's care records and 3 medicine records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures and audits were reviewed.

Updated 6 July 2023

About the service

Crann Dara provides accommodation and personal care for up to 7 people, some of whom who have a learning and physical disability and are autistic. At the time of our inspection, there were 7 people living at the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support:

People's medicines were managed safely. The provider recently commissioned an independent audit of medicines and found there were robust systems in place. The registered manager worked in partnership with other professionals to ensure people’s medicines were regularly reviewed. Staff and people co-operated to assess risks people might face. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff supported people to achieve their aspirations and goals in safe way. People were able to pursue their interests and live a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life in a safe environment. Governance systems monitored and assessed the quality of care regularly.

Right Care:

There was a consistent and stable staff group at Crann Dara which family members told us they found reassuring. Staff received training and told us they had regular group meetings. The registered manager was aware that one to one supervision with staff was not formalised and took measures to address this following this inspection. People received kind and compassionate care and their independence was promoted. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. They had training on how to recognise and report abuse and knew how to apply it. People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs. People’s care, treatment and support plans reflected their range of needs, and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. People received care that supported their needs and aspirations and was focused on their quality of life.

Right Culture:

People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. Staff placed people's wishes, needs, and rights at the heart of everything they did. People and those important to them, were involved in planning their care. Staff evaluated the quality of support provided to people, involving the person, their families, and other professionals as appropriate. The service enabled people and those important to them to work with staff to develop the service. Staff valued and acted upon people's views. People's quality of life was enhanced by the service's culture and inclusivity. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency and respect.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 25 June 2021).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the safe management of medicines. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.