About the service The Corner House is a residential care home providing personal care people with learning disabilities and autism. The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
The service was a three bedroomed house. It is registered for the support of up to three people and three people were using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The provider had not always used their audits effectively to reflect on actions or trends. The staff had not always been supported in a formal way, this meant we could not be sure all aspects of improvement would be recorded or considered.
People were safe, and staff understood how to raise a safeguard or how to protect people from the risk of infection. There were sufficient staff and all staff had been recruited to reflect checks in relation to references and criminal records. Medicines were managed safely.
Staff had received training for their role and understood current guidance on care for people’s long-term conditions. People were supported to have choices for their meals and their nutritional needs supported. Health care needs were reviewed, and action taken to maintain people’s wellbeing. This reflected all aspects of health including oral care.
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.
People’s views had been obtained to encourage or drive improvements. There was a homely atmosphere and people were able to enjoy their environment as they wished. People had established positive relationships with people and told us they felt staff were kind and caring. Respect was show to people and their dignity maintained. Relationships had been supported and any information was stored confidentially.
The care plans were detailed and had been reviewed to ensure any changes had been documented and shared with the staff team. Communication methods were suited to the individual.
There was a complaints policy in place. The previous rating was displayed within the home and on the providers website links. The provider had sent us notifications about significant events and the outcomes following their investigations or actions.
The service consistently apply the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.
As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people. The service used some restrictive intervention practices as a last resort, in a person-centred way, in line with positive behaviour support principles.
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 (17 June 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.