Wentworth Close

Updated 22 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 one inspector.

Service and service type

Wentworth Close 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

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

People were not able to share their views of the service, due to complex communication and support needs. Therefore, we observed their experiences living at Wentworth Close and staff interactions with them. We spoke with the registered manager, specialist senior support worker, senior support worker and two support workers. In addition, we met with one person’s relative.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed. We also pathway tracked three people. This is where we check that the records for people match the care and support they receive from staff.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at staff training, minutes of meetings and quality assurance records. Following our inspection, we received feedback from four health and social care professionals and from one relative.

Updated 22 February 2020

About the service

Wentworth Close is a residential care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to four people who have learning disabilities and autism. There were four people using the service at the time of inspection. Some had specialist needs related to Autism and behaviours that challenged. People had different communication needs. Most had limited verbal communication and used gestures and body language to make their needs known. The organisation also runs other care homes locally.

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.

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

The registered manager was also the manager of another care home within the organisation and he divided his time between each home. A specialist senior support worker was responsible for the day to day running of the home in his absence.

Although there was generally good communication between senior management, information about one person’s health needs had not been communicated well and therefore not treated as urgent. Feedback from some health professionals highlighted a need for communication to improve. The registered manager responded well to this and systems were immediately set up to improve communication.

There were shortfalls in some areas of record keeping. One person had a health need and there was no risk assessment or care plan to guide staff on how to support the person. Although staff spoke to us about providing person centred care, daily records did not always demonstrate this. It was not evident people had opportunities to go out at the weekends as staff levels did not allow for this to happen.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent. They were encouraged to take part in daily living tasks with support from staff in areas such as laundry, taking dishes to the kitchen and putting their laundry away.

People were supported to maintain their own interests. Staff supported people to take part in choosing activities to meet their individual needs and wishes. One person liked to listen to his record player. Others chose activities including, bowling, using cafes and restaurants, walks in the park and trips to places of interest. Music sessions and aromatherapy was provided at Wentworth.

People were protected from the risks of harm, abuse or discrimination because staff knew what actions to take if they identified concerns. The home was clean and tidy throughout. Recruitment procedures ensured only suitable staff worked at the service.

Some of the staff knew people from previous placements and had a very good knowledge of them as individuals. People’s care plans were assessed and reviewed regularly. A social care professional told us the,

Staff understood the risks associated with the people they supported. Risk assessments provided further guidance for staff about individual and environmental risks and there were positive behavioural support plans to guide staff in supporting people whose behaviours were challenging. People were supported to receive their medicines safely. Where appropriate, staff supported people to attend health appointments, such as the GP or dentist and appointments for specialist advice and support.

Staff received training that helped them to deliver the care and support people needed. This included specialist training in autism and positive behavioural support to meet people’s complex needs. They attended regular supervision meetings and told us they were very well supported by the registered manager. A staff member told us, “If we need support, we can call management and they are there. It’s one of the best places for support.”

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. There was a detailed complaint procedure, and this was displayed so anyone wanting to raise a concern could do so.

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 Requires Improvement. (Published 25 January 2019).

The overall rating for the service has remained requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Enforcement

We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

Follow up

We will ask the provider to send us an action plan to address the shortfalls found. We will continue to monitor the service until the next inspection. This will be within a year of the publication date of this report.