16 July 2019
During a routine inspection
People’s experience of using this service and what we found:
People who received care from the service spoke positively about Visram House. They were complimentary about care workers and the service and raised no concerns. People said they were safe and treated with dignity and respect when being supported by care workers in their flat. They also spoke positively about management and said they felt able to speak to them without hesitation.
Systems were in place to help ensure people were protected from the risk of abuse. There were appropriate policies in place. People were protected from abuse by staff who understood how to identify and report any abuse concerns.
Risk assessments for people covered areas such as the environment, physical health and personal care. At the time of the inspection, risk assessments in relation to certain conditions were not in place. Following the inspection, the service sent us evidence they had implemented these.
We checked the arrangements in place in respect of medicines. Care workers had received medicines management training and policies and procedures were in place. We looked at a sample of Medicines Administration Records (MARs) and found these were completed with no unexplained gaps. The service had an effective medicines audit in place.
Steps had been taken to protect people from the risk of infections.
Staff had received appropriate training and they had the knowledge and skills to support people. All spoke positively about their experiences working for the service and said that they received support from management and morale amongst staff was positive.
Details about people's nutrition and hydration had been documented in care plan. Staff supported people to have a healthy and nutritious diet that was in line with their individual dietary needs and preferences.
People were treated with dignity and respect at all times and staff promoted their independence. Staff adopted a friendly, caring and professional approach in their work and this gave people confidence to express their views about the care provided. Staff and management understood the need to promote equality and diversity and consider people's protected characteristics.
People’s involvement in decision-making about the care provided was encouraged by staff and management, and their views were listened to. People's care plans supported a person-centred approach.
People had support to lead lifestyles of their choosing, access the local community and participate in recreational activities.
People understood how to raise any concerns or complaints about the service.
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 management team promoted a positive and inclusive culture within the service, based upon open communication with people, relatives, community professionals and staff. Staff told us the management team were approachable and helpful. There were quality assurance systems and processes in place to enable management to monitor and improve the quality of people's care.
Rating at last inspection: The service first registered with the Care Quality Commission in October 2018. This inspection on the 16 July 2019 was the first inspection for the service.
Why we inspected: This was a scheduled 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.