We carried out a review of the data available to us about Polesworth Group Pooley View on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Polesworth Group Pooley View, you can give feedback on this service.
The service is a ‘care home’ operated by Polesworth Group Homes; a non-profit and independent provider of support for people with learning disabilities. The service, 19 Pooley View, is one of eight services provided by Polesworth Group Homes Limited. The service provides accommodation with personal care for up to four adults living with a learning disability. People in residential care homes receive accommodation and 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. At the time of our inspection visit, there were four people living at the home.
There was a registered manager in post. They had been registered with us for this service and one other of the provider’s services. 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.
At our last inspection in April 2016 we rated the service as Good. At this inspection, we found the quality of the care had been maintained and people continued to receive a service that was safe, caring, effective and responsive to their needs. The rating continues to be Good.
At times, staff were ‘lone workers’ at the service which meant there was just one staff member on shift. The provider’s other services were within close proximity to the service and staff felt they could call upon them, or on-call managers, for support if needed. Everyone spoken with said the one staff member was sufficient to safely and effectively meet people’s individual needs.
Staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from the risks of abuse. Staff had received ‘safeguarding’ training and raised concerns under the provider’s safeguarding policies. The registered manager and provider understood and followed their legal responsibilities when safeguarding concerns were identified to them by staff.
People had their medicines available to them and were supported with these from trained staff. Staff had a very good knowledge of how to support people with healthcare conditions and ‘when required’ medicines should be given and followed individual protocols.
Staff had the appropriate levels of skill, experience and support to meet people’s needs and provide effective care. Staff knew people well and individual risk management plans were in place for staff to follow. Staff supported people with kindness and in a caring way. Staff knew what action to take in the event of an emergency and could seek support from another of the provider’s services close-by, if needed.
The provider checked staff’s suitability to deliver care and support during the recruitment process.
People’s nutritional and hydration needs were met and staff encouraged people to make healthy choices to maintain their wellbeing. Staff supported people to access healthcare services.
Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and worked within the principles of the Act. Managers understood their responsibilities under the Act and when ‘best interests’ meetings should take place.
People had individual plans of care which provided staff with the information they needed. People were able to take part in individual leisure activities according to their preferences.
Staff were happy in their job role and felt supported by the registered manager through one to one and team meetings.
People and relatives had no complaints about the service and said staff would deal with any concern if they needed to raise something.
The registered manager and provider checked the quality of the service to make sure people’s needs were met effectively. Feedback on a day to day basis from people was encouraged by staff. The registered manager and provider understood their regulatory responsibilities and worked with other organisations and healthcare professionals to ensure positive outcomes for people who lived at the home.
Pooley View Care Home provides care, support and accommodation for up to four people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection visit, there were four people living in the home.
The service was last inspected on 11 October 2013, when we found the provider was compliant with the essential standards described in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.
The service had a registered manager. 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.
People were comfortable with the care staff who supported them. Relatives were confident people were safe living in the home. Staff received training in how to safeguard people from abuse and were supported by the provider’s safeguarding policies and procedures. Staff understood what action they should take in order to protect people from abuse. Risks to people’s safety were identified, minimised and responsive towards individual needs so people could be supported in the least restrictive way possible and build their independence.
People were supported with their medicines if they needed it, by staff that were trained and assessed as competent to give medicines safely. Medicines were given in a timely way and as prescribed. Regular checks of medicines helped ensure any potential issues were identified and action could be taken as a result.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staffing was increased to support people to maintain hobbies, interests and activities they enjoyed. The provider conducted pre-employment checks prior to staff starting work to ensure their suitability to support people who stayed at the home. Staff told us they had not been able to start work until these checks had been completed.
The provider assessed people’s capacity to make their own decisions if it was identified people lacked the capacity to make all of their own decisions. Staff and the registered manager had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, and the need to seek consent from people before delivering care and support wherever possible. Where restrictions on people’s liberty were in place, legal processes had been followed to ensure the restrictions were in people’s ‘best interests’. Applications for legal authorisation to restrict people’s liberty had been sent to the relevant authorities in a timely way.
People told us staff were respectful and treated them with dignity. We observed interactions between people which confirmed this. Records also showed people’s privacy and dignity was maintained. People were supported to make choices about their day to day lives. People were supported to maintain any activities, interests and relationships that were important to them.
People had access to health professionals whenever necessary, and we saw the care and support people received was in line with what had been recommended by health professionals. People’s care records were written in a way which helped staff to deliver care that was based on each person’s needs. People were involved in how their care and support was delivered, as were their relatives if people needed support from a representative to plan their care.
Relatives told us they were able to raise any concerns with the registered manager. They felt these would be listened to and responded to effectively and in a timely way. Staff told us the management team were approachable and responsive to their ideas and suggestions. There were systems to monitor the quality of the support provided in the home. The provider ensured that recommended actions from quality assurance checks were clearly documented and acted upon by the manager as they undertook regular unannounced visits to the home.
People told us that they liked their home, making comments such as, "I like it here" and "They look after me in every way."
We observed that people appeared comfortable and relaxed in their surroundings and chatted easily with the staff member on duty.
People had care plans in place which were well ordered and easy to follow. They were up to date and contained information to enable staff to meet people's needs effectively. People were supported to attend and participate in a variety of activities throughout the week as well as spending time at home.
We saw that measures were in place to ensure that people lived in a well kept, clean and hygienic environment.
We found that processes were in place to ensure that medicines were managed appropriately for people on their behalf.
We saw that people's records were maintained in good order and stored in a way that maintained confidentiality and ensured that they were secure.
We saw that staff knew people at the home well and spoke with them in a friendly, respectful way. We observed that people sought out the company of members of staff and it was evident from people's body language and facial expression that they were comfortable with them.
We looked at the care planning documentation for two of the people using the service to see how their care was provided and managed. We found that documentation was very detailed and up to date.
People using the service told us they liked living at the home and felt well cared for. One person told us, 'I like it here. I go out a lot and do lots of cooking and making things.'
We talked with a care assistant who demonstrated they were aware of people's care and support needs. The care assistant said they were trained to help them understand how to meet people's needs and give the support they needed. They also told us that they received regular supervision to monitor their care practices and had access to training which kept their skills up to date.
The provider regularly audited the service people received at 19 Pooley View. This included questionnaires sent annually to the people who used the service and other interested parties. We saw the results of the survey undertaken in 2011 which indicated that the people living in the home at the time were happy with the service they were receiving.