Archived: Three Gates

Updated 24 May 2016

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 5 May 2016 and was announced. We told the provider we were coming 48 hours before the visit, so they could arrange for people and staff to be available to talk with us about the service. The inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Before our visit we reviewed information received about the service, for example the statutory notifications the service had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. We looked at information received from relatives and visitors.

During our visit we spoke with two people who lived at the service, five staff including the registered manager, assistant manager and three residential support workers. We also spoke with one relative over the telephone.

We reviewed two people’s care records to see how their care and support was planned and delivered. We checked two staff files to see whether staff had been recruited safely and were trained to deliver the care and support people required. We looked at other records related to people’s care and how the service operated, including the service’s quality assurance audits.

Updated 24 May 2016

We carried out this inspection on 5 May 2016.

Three Gates provides residential care and support for up to four people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were three people living at the home who had lived there since 2005.

The service has 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. A registered manager had been in post since 2010. This person was responsible for two other of the provider’s services, and was not based at the home each day.

Relatives and staff told us people who lived at the home were safe. Staff had a good understanding of what constituted abuse and knew what actions to take if they had any concerns. Staff were effective in identifying risks to people’s safety and ensured people could choose what they wanted to do, while managing these risks.

There were enough staff to care for the people they supported. Checks were carried out prior to staff starting work to ensure their suitability to work with people who used the service. Staff received an induction into the organisation, and a programme of training to support them in meeting people’s needs effectively.

Care plans contained information for staff to help them provide personalised care. Care was reviewed regularly with the involvement of people and their relatives.

People received care from staff who knew them well. People and relatives told us staff were caring and had the right skills and experience to provide the care required.

People were supported with dignity and respect and people were given a choice in relation to how they spent their time. Staff encouraged people to be independent, and people had gained increasing skills and confidence in their daily lives.

People received medicines from trained staff and medicines were administered, stored and disposed of safely.

Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and how to support people with decision making, which included arranging further support when this was required.

People had enough to eat and drink during the day, were offered choices, and enjoyed the meals provided. People were assisted to manage their health needs, with referrals to other health professionals, and equipment to support them was arranged where this was required.

People had enough to do to keep them occupied and staff tailored activities to people’s individual interests.

People knew how to complain and could share their views and opinions about the service they received. Staff were confident they could raise any concerns or issues with the managers, who were approachable, and they would be listened to and acted upon.

There were processes to monitor the quality of the service provided. This was through regular communication with people and staff. There were other checks which ensured staff worked in line with policies and procedures. Checks of the environment were undertaken and staff knew the correct procedures to take in an emergency.

People and staff were positive about the managers, who they felt were supportive and approachable. The management team worked to adapt and improve the service to meet people’s changing needs.