Archived: Clifton Cottage

Clifton Cottage is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Clifton Cottage is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to seven people and predominantly supports people living with a learning disability, autism and dementia. At the time of the inspection there were seven people living at the service.

Best practice guidelines recommend supporting people living with a learning disability in settings that accommodate less than six people. Clifton Cottage supports up to seven people, therefore the service model was not fully aligned to the principles set out in Registering the Right Support. However, the outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support including; choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People's support was focused on them having as many opportunities as possible, to have new experiences and to maintain their skills and independence.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People were happy living at Clifton Cottage. There was an established staff team that knew people well. One person told us, “They [staff] always help me if they need if I need it, they are really kind.”

• Quality assurance processes were robust and risks to people and the environment were managed safely. The service was clean and infection control audits ensured that cleaning tasks were maintained and any issues were identified quickly.

• Staff recognised people’s individual needs and supported them to make choices in line with legislation.

• Care plans were detailed and person centred. People were involved in deciding how they wished to be supported and in reviewing their care plans when needed. Information was available in a format they could understand.

• Staff were kind, patient and responsive to people's needs. People were treated with dignity and staff respected their privacy.

• Staff were well trained and received regular supervision to help develop their skills and support them in their role.

Rating at last inspection:

The service was rated as Good at the last full comprehensive inspection, the report for which was published on 2 June 2016.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous inspection rating.

The inspection was unannounced and was carried out on 19 April 2016.

There was a registered manager in place at the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the home. 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 home is run.

People, their families and external professionals told us they felt the home was safe. Staff and the registered manager had received safeguarding training and were able to demonstrate an understanding of the provider’s safeguarding policy and explain the action they would take if they identified any concerns.

The risks relating to people’s health and welfare were assessed and these were recorded along with actions identified to reduce those risks in the least restrictive way. They were personalised and provided sufficient information to allow staff to protect people whilst promoting their independence.

People were supported by staff who had received an induction into the home and appropriate training, professional development and supervision to enable them to meet people’s individual needs. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and to enable them to engage with people in a relaxed and unhurried manner.

There were suitable systems in place to ensure the safe storage and administration of medicines. Medicines were administered by staff who had received appropriate training and assessments. Healthcare professionals such as chiropodists, opticians, GPs and dentists were involved in people’s care when necessary.

Staff followed legislation designed to protect people’s rights and ensure decisions were the least restrictive and made in their best interests.

Staff developed caring and positive relationships with people and were sensitive to their individual choices and treated them with dignity and respect. People were encouraged to maintain relationships that were important to them.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink. Mealtimes were a social event and staff supported people, when necessary in a patient and friendly manner.

Staff were responsive to people’s communication styles and gave people information and choices in ways that they could understand. They were patient when engaging with people.

People and their families were involved in discussions about their care planning, which reflected their assessed needs. Each person had an allocated keyworker, who provided a focal point for that person and maintained contact with the important people in their lives.

There was an opportunity for people and their families to become involved in developing the service and they were encouraged to provide feedback on the service provided both informally, through ‘residents’ meetings’ and through an annual questionnaire. They were also supported to raise complaints should they wish to.

People, their families and external professionals told us they felt the home was well-led and were positive about the registered manager who understood the responsibilities of their role. Staff were aware of the provider’s vision and values, how they related to their work and spoke positively about the culture and management of the home.

There were systems in place to monitor quality and safety of the home provided. Accidents and incidents were monitored, analysed and remedial actions identified to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.