Princes Road Residential Care Home

Updated 7 July 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Princes Road Residential Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Princes Road Residential Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced

What we did before inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We also looked at intelligence we held about the service such as statutory notifications and stakeholder feedback. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We communicated with one person who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the Locality Manager, the Registered Services Manager, the team leader and two care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and three medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with five relatives.

Updated 7 July 2022

About the service

Princes Road Residential Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care for up to six people. The service provides support to people with a learning disability or autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were five people using the service.

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

Where incidents occurred, the local authority safeguarding team was not always notified in a timely manner. Concerns were raised that there were not always enough staff to manage behaviour that could be considered challenging; and staff had not been trained in this.

A new management team had recently been introduced to the home. Prior to this the home had been lacking in management oversight and support. This has impacted on morale across the home and meant that improvements required had not been addressed quickly. Statutory notifications were not always submitted when important events occurred, and provider management did not have sufficient oversight of safeguarding incidents.

Relatives felt their loved ones were well cared for, that the staff team treated them with dignity and respect. People were supported with their individual needs and their independence was promoted. Where healthcare support was required the service supported people to access the appropriate professional. Advocacy support was accessible to those that required it.

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: Staff supported people to make choices about their day to day lives and be independent in their tasks.

Right care: Staff treated people with dignity and respect, with relatives feeling their loved ones were well cared for.

Right culture: The culture of the home was improving with a new management team that staff, relatives and professionals felt could make a difference.

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 14 August 2019)

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) conditions compliance, oversight and management, staffing levels, activities and responding to behaviours that could be considered challenging. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

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.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Princes Road Residential Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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 return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to safeguarding people from abuse and improper treatment and good governance at this inspection.

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