Orchard Lea

Updated 6 February 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 03 and 04 January 2019 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector. Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service including information from notifications. Notifications are events that happen in the home that the registered provider and registered manager are required to tell us about. We also considered the last inspection report, the information supplied in the Provider Information Return (PIR) and information that had been supplied by other agencies.

We met with five people using the service and staff who gave direct care and support. We spent time observing people in the communal areas of the home. We observed how people were being cared for and supported by staff which helped us understand peoples' experience of living at the home.

We spoke with the nominated individual who was also the acting manager, the deputy manager and five members of staff. We spoke in depth with two people and four relatives. We looked at three people's care records including their care plans, health action plans, daily diaries and medication administration records. We also sampled other records such as staff recruitment files and at records relating to the management of the home which included audits and surveys.

Updated 6 February 2019

Orchard Lea is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Orchard Lea can accommodate up to six people and at the time of the inspection there were six people living at the home. The accommodation is two-storey, with four bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor. Bedrooms were spacious and personalised. The ground floor had a kitchen, dining room, living room and access to a fenced back garden.

The service has been developed and designed within the values of the ‘Registering the Right Support’ principles. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any other citizen.

There was a registered manager in post who was on maternity leave so the registered provider’s nominated individual, who was a company director, was in charge of the service and available throughout our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The home was found to be safe and secure. Visitors had to wait for staff to answer the door, identify themselves and sign in and out.

The service used the local authority safeguarding procedures to report any safeguarding concerns. Staff had been trained in safeguarding topics and were aware of their responsibilities to report any possible abuse.

The administration of medicines was safe. Staff had been trained in the administration of medicines.

The service was clean, tidy and homely in character. Staff were trained in the prevention and control of infection to help protect the health and welfare of people using the service.

Potential risks to people had been identified in their activities of daily living and action taken to minimise the risk whilst encouraging and maintaining their independence.

There were suitable numbers of trained staff available to support people's needs.

Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and could apply them to the people they supported. People's capacity to consent to specific decisions was assessed when required.

Information was provided to people in accordance with the Accessible Information Standard 2016. People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns.

We observed good interactions between staff and people who used the service. People and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring.

We saw from our observations of staff and records that people who used the service were given choices in many aspects of their lives and helped to remain independent where possible.

We saw that the quality of care plans gave staff sufficient information to support people using the service. Plans of care were person centred and reviewed regularly to help people meet their health and social care needs.

Relatives told us that when their family member moved in, they settled quickly, said only good things about the service and grew in confident.

Activities at the home and in the community were based on what people wanted do, achieve, and be involved in. The sessions included being part of community groups, shopping and visiting relatives.

Audits were completed, and the nominated individual had a clear overview of what was happening in all areas of the service. Staff were involved in discussions about the quality of people’s support and care and took a team approach to promote improvements to people's lives.

There was an ‘open door’ policy by the managers, which was identified by people, relatives and staff. The management team believed in ensuring the service had a homely environment, maintaining good support for relatives and making improvements where required.