Victoria Cottage

Updated 22 March 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 28 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was so we could adhere to any COVID-19 requirements and to help keep people safe.

Updated 22 March 2022

About the service:

Victoria Cottage is a care home which provides care and support for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum conditions.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to 12 people. 10 people were using the service at the time of the inspection. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home.

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

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

We received extremely positive feedback about the service and the care people received. People, relatives and professionals commented positively about the caring and responsive approach of the staff. Everyone said the service was excellent because of how well it was managed. There was evidence that people achieved good care outcomes, and everyone’s comments about the service supported this. This was reflected in a professional’s feedback which said, “I’m very impressed with the care home setting. The management and the staff are very good, caring, and respond to the residents’ needs. High class service!”

People were protected from harm by staff who were trained to identify and report concerns. People were safe because risks had been managed well. There were enough staff to support people safely. People were supported to take their medicines safely. Efforts had been made to reduce the amount of medicines people took to promote their wellbeing. Lessons were learnt from incidents to prevent recurrence. Staff followed effective processes to prevent the spread of infections.

People received effective care to meet their needs. People were supported by very skilled and knowledgeable staff. People were supported to eat well to maintain their health and wellbeing. Working closely with other professionals was central to the good care provided to people.

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.

Everyone said staff were exceptional at promoting a caring environment for people. Staff had respectful, caring and friendly relationships with people. Staff upheld people's dignity and privacy, and they promoted their independence.

People received exceptionally personalised care and support which met their needs, reflected their preferences and promoted their wellbeing. People’s views mattered and the service valued relatives' contributions to discussions about people's care. The registered manager listened to suggestions, concerns and complaints. They used this information to continually improve the service.

There was a positive, open and empowering culture. Staff roles and responsibilities were clear, and staff were supported and encouraged to use creative and individualised methods to support people to achieve their personal goals. The provider's values were reflected in the way staff supported people. The provider's quality monitoring processes were robust, and they evidenced what they did to continually improve the service.

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 31 May 2017).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.