Waterfield Supported Homes Limited

Waterfield Supported Homes Limited is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 7 people. The service provides support to older people, people living with dementia and people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were 7 people using the service.

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

Staff understood how to keep people safe and had suitable training in infection control. However, there were not sufficient systems to ensure the cleanliness of the premises and the building was visibly dirty in places. After our visit the provider engaged a new cleaning contractor to address this.

There were enough staff to safely meet people’s needs. The provider operated suitable pre-employment checks on staff.

People told us they were treated with respect and listened to by staff. People were involved in making day to day choices about how they spent their time, including access to in house activities. People felt safe living in the service and were able to approach managers if they had any concerns.

The provider ensured that key safety checks were carried out around the service and had risk management plans in place to mitigate risks to people’s wellbeing. The provider had implemented a new recording system to ensure that people’s needs were suitably assessed and monitored, however systems of audit did not always address issues with the cleanliness of premises.

The service engaged people in the running of the service and held regular residents meetings. People told us they were comfortable approaching managers if they had any concerns. Staff spoke of feeling well supported by staff and had received key training and supervision.

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. There were suitable processes to ensure that restrictions on people’s liberty were applied legally.

People received their medicines safely by staff who had the right skills to do so; we have made a recommendation about how the provider maintains records of medicines administration.

For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was good (published 7 June 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Enforcement and recommendations.

We have found breaches in relation to the cleanliness of premises. We have made a recommendation about how the provider records people’s medicines.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of the full version of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Waterfield Supported Homes Limited is registered to provide care and accommodation to up to five people. At the time of our inspection, four people were using the service, some of whom had mental health conditions.

Bedrooms are single occupancy rooms. The service has a stairlift and a garden.

At the last inspection of 8 March 2016, the service was rated ‘Good’. We carried out this unannounced inspection of the service on 7 June 2018. At this inspection, we found that the service had maintained its 'Good' rating.

There was 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 happy living at the service. Staff understood how to protect people from the risk of abuse. Risks assessment and management plans were used appropriately to keep people safe. Sufficient staff provided people’s care in a safe manner. Staff underwent appropriate recruitment procedures to ensure their suitability to deliver care.

People received care in line with best evidence guidance. People’s needs were assessed and reviewed which enabled staff to deliver effective care. Staff were supported, trained and supervised to enable them to meet people’s needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People enjoyed the food provided. Staff involved people in menu planning and ensured that meals met each person’s dietary and cultural needs. People received the support they required to maintain good health and to access healthcare services when needed.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff knew people well and had developed positive relationships with them. Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy. People enjoyed taking part in activities of their choosing and were encouraged to develop new interests.

People received personalised care which focused on their individual needs. Staff supported people to develop daily living skills. People had received a copy of the complaints procedure and knew how to raise a concern about their care when needed.

People had opportunities to share their views about the service. The registered manager acted on people’s feedback to develop the service. People, healthcare professionals and staff spoke positively about the registered manager and commended her for managing the service well. Regular checks and audits on the quality of care resulted in improvements to care delivery. The registered manager worked in close partnership with other agencies to develop the service.

This unannounced inspection took place on 8 March 2016. Waterfield Homes was registered on 29 May 2015. This is the first comprehensive inspection since people started using the service.

The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 in the service were safe. Staff assessed risks to people and put support plans in place to promote their safety and well-being. The service appropriately managed risks to people’s health and safety. Staff reviewed people’s health and had updated their support when their needs changed. People received the support they required to take their medicines safely as prescribed.

Staff knew how to identify signs of abuse and to report any concerns to ensure they protected people from harm. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs.

Staff felt well-supported by the registered manager in their role. Staff had attended relevant training which equipped them with the knowledge and skills to support people with complex mental health needs. The service effectively worked in partnership with other healthcare professionals to promote people’s mental and physical health. People received the support they needed to attend healthcare appointments for their well-being.

Staff knew people well and had established positive relationships with them. People told us they were happy to be living at the service. Staff treated people with respect and upheld their right to privacy and dignity. People told us staff were kind and caring. The registered manager and staff involved people and their relatives in the planning and delivering of their support and care. People made decisions about how they wished to spend their time.

People enjoyed the meals prepared at the service and could choose what they liked to eat. Staff carried out assessments to identify people’s health needs and the support they required prior and after they started to use the service. The registered manager developed support plans on how staff should deliver people’s care and ensured they followed the guidance to promote people’s well-being. Staff had delivered people’s care as recorded in their support plans. Staff supported people to develop and maintain their independent living skills. The registered manager sought people’s views about the service, listened to, and acted on their feedback. People understood the provider’s procedure of how to make a complaint.

People and staff said the registered manager was approachable and the service well-run. Staff understood their role in relation to the service’s values of promoting people’s mental health and their independence. The registered manager undertook checks on the quality of the service and made improvements when necessary.