Fordrough Cottage

Fordrough Cottage is a residential care home providing the regulated activity of accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care to up to four people. The service provides support to people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were three people using the service. People had their own bedrooms and shared a lounge, dining room, kitchen and garden.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

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

Right Support: Relatives told us they were concerned about recent changes in the staff team. The manager agreed recruiting the right staff had been a challenge but felt this issue was now resolved. Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence over their own lives. People were supported by staff to pursue their interests. The service worked with people to plan for when they experienced periods of distress, so their freedoms were restricted only if there was no alternative. The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs. People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms. Staff supported people to pursue their hobbies and interests. Staff enabled people to access specialist health and social care support in the community. Staff supported people to play an active role in maintaining their own health and wellbeing.

Right Care: People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. Staff understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care. Relatives spoke positively about the staff team. One relative described the staff team as ‘respectful.’ Relatives told us staff protected people’s dignity. People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs. People could pursue interests tailored to them. The service gave people opportunities to try new experiences which enhanced and enriched their lives.

Right Culture: Relatives told us communication with staff about their loved ones could be improved. Staff knew and understood people’s care needs well. Staff were responsive to people and helped them live the quality of life of their choosing. Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. The manager evaluated the quality of support provided to people and involved people, their relatives and other professionals when appropriate.

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.

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 11 September 2019).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the care people were being given. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe effective and caring sections of this full report.

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.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Fordrough Cottage is a residential care home which provides personal care to two people with a range of needs including autism, learning disabilities and behaviours that may challenge. The service can support up to four people.

Services for people with learning disabilities and or autism are supported

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

People’s relatives told us they felt people were safe. Care staff knew how to keep people safe from harm. The provider’s recruitment process was not always robust enough to ensure they had employed suitable care staff to support people safely. People received their medicines as prescribed, however, records were not always completed accurately. Care staff followed infection control guidance and had access to personal protective equipment.

Care staff received induction training however they had not always completed this before they started work. This meant the provider could not be assured that care staff had the correct skills and knowledge to meet people's needs when they first started working. Care staff had not received regular supervisions and competency checks to ensure they were working in line with best practice. People's nutritional needs were met.

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.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People were supported by care staff who were kind and caring and knew them well. Care staff were passionate about their role and had built good relationships with people. People's privacy, dignity and independence were respected by care staff. People’s equality and diversity needs were respected.

People's support needs were assessed regularly and planned to ensure they received the support they needed. People's support was individualised. The provider had a complaints process which people were aware of to share any concerns.

The service was not always well managed. Previous to the appointment of the new registered manager there had been a lack of effective oversight and auditing of the service. Since the appointment of the new registered manager, governance and auditing systems have been implemented to improve the quality of the service.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 14 September 2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned comprehensive inspection.

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.