We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Orchard on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about The Orchard, you can give feedback on this service.
The Orchard is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 6 people with a range of needs including dementia, learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder, mental health or physical disabilities. At the time of inspection 6 people were being supported by the service.
The Orchard is a family sized property in a residential area which looks similar to other houses on the street.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by staff who knew them well, had sufficient training and who had been recruited safety.
Risk assessments and care plans were in place to cover people’s holistic needs. Strategies and goals had been recorded to support people to meet their targets.
People received medicines as prescribed. Staff supported people to make and attend any health appointment required.
Staff understood safeguarding and how to recognise and report any concerns of abuse. People told us they felt safe.
Infection prevention and control systems were in place and protected people. Staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning schedules were completed.
People received person centred care from staff who understood equality and diversity and supported people with their individual needs.
People were involved in their care planning. People were supported to be as independent as possible and staff supported people to learn new skills.
Systems and processes were in place to ensure the registered manager had oversight of the service. Audits and spot checks were completed regularly.
People and staff felt supported by the registered manager and felt able to raise any concerns if necessary.
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.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right support:
• People were supported to have choice, control and independence within their lives.
Right care:
• People were cared for safely. Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights
Right culture:
• Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of managers and care staff ensured people using services lead inclusive and empowered lives
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 21 February 2017)
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach.
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.
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.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of this 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.
People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their care and support needs in a timely manner. Staff had been recruited safely and were confident in the steps to take to protect people who may be at risk of harm. Risks to people had been assessed and staff were knowledgeable about people’s plans of care which had been implemented in order to mitigate these risks. People could be assured that they would receive their prescribed medicines safely.
People received care from staff that had received the training they needed to provide effective care and support. New staff benefitted from a period of induction to support them to work competently in their role. Staff received on going support and supervision which enabled them to continue to provide effective care to people living in the home.
People were actively involved in decisions about their care and support needs. There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People had their healthcare needs managed in a way that was appropriate for each person and people’s nutritional needs were well supported.
Staff took time to get to know people and ensured that people’s care was tailored to their individual needs. People were treated with dignity and respect and were encouraged and enabled to make decisions in relation to their care and support.
People had personalised plans of care in place that were regularly reviewed to ensure that staff had the guidance they needed to provide consistent care to people. People had the information they needed to make a complaint and the service had processes in place to respond to any complaints.
People were supported by a team of staff that had the managerial guidance and support they needed to carry out their roles. The quality of the service was monitored by the audits regularly carried out by the registered manager and by the provider.