Swallowfields Care Centre

Updated 5 February 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Swallowfields Care Centre 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.

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 the inspection

The provider had not been asked to complete the required Provider Information Return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make.

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We reviewed notifications and safeguarding concerns we had received from the service. Services are required to send these through to CQC as part of their requirements of registration.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager and the deputy manager. We spoke with two relatives who had been at the home on the day of inspection.

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

After the inspection

We continued to seek additional information from the registered manager with regards to additional supporting evidence. This included residents and staff meeting minutes, relative feedback forms and people’s feedback forms. We also spoke with three relatives by telephone.

Updated 5 February 2020

About the service

Swallowfields Care Centre is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 9 people with a learning disability, such as autism. At the time of our inspection 9 people were living at the service.

The service was working towards the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This was to ensure 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.

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

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 told us they liked living at Swallowfields Care Centre and staff treated them with kindness. People had the support required to enable them to make their own decisions and learn skills new to them. We saw that risks had been appropriately identified and planned for with individual risk assessments in place for people. People’s medicines were managed safely.

People said they felt safe living at the service. Relatives we spoke to stated they felt their relative was safe and happy living at the service. People had input into food choices and people told us they enjoyed the food provided. People had access to a variety of activities provided both within the home or externally in the community. People’s voice was accounted for when booking activities or trips away from the home and this done though regular resident meetings.

People could access healthcare professional involvement when needed and where people had accidents and incidents staff responded to these to help reduce reoccurrence. People were supported by staff who had access to training, were competent in their role and worked well together as a team.

People had person-centred care plans which contained specific details for each person in terms of diagnosis, likes, dislikes, hobbies and medicines. People had the appropriate care planned around their individual needs,

Staff said they were happy working at Swallowfields Care Centre. Staff displayed a caring attitude towards the people they were supporting. Staff had developed close bonds with people and had provided consistent care and support. There was enough staff to safely support people and staff had been recruited safely.

The registered manager was fully aware of their responsibilities and kept staff motivated to ensure good retention of staff. They engaged with people and knew all their specific needs. There was a calm and happy atmosphere within the home produced by the shared caring ethos amongst management and staff.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Good (report published 04 July 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.