This inspection was carried out on 19 and 22 July 2016. The first day of the inspection was unannounced.Mayfield Court is registered to provide accommodation and support for up to 35 people. At the time of our inspection 33 people were living there. The home provides support for people who have a physical disability. Some of the people living there also have additional needs for support due to a learning disability or the fact they are living with dementia.
The home 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.
During the inspection we met a number of the people living at Mayfield and spoke with twelve of them and relatives of two people who live or lived there. We also looked around the premises and spoke with ten members of staff who held different roles in the home. This included speaking with the registered manager.
We examined a variety of records relating to people living at the home and the staff team. We also looked at systems for checking the quality and safety of the service.
Everybody we spoke with was positive about the home and the support it provided. Comments from people living there included, “A good opportunity. There’s always someone around 24/7. It’s one of the best homes you could get.” “It’s the best place for anyone with disabilities,” And “It’s a wonderful place – nothing is too much trouble.” A relative said, “It’s like a big family house. A happy place.”
The home consistently engaged with and worked in partnership with the people who lived there and the fact that it was their home was consistently respected by staff. People were confident that their views were always listened to and acted upon by the manager and the staff team. One person told us, “They listen” and another person said, “We talk it through.”
The views of people living at the home were central to systems for checking the quality of the service and planning improvements. For example people had been activity involved in choosing décor, recruiting new staff and agreeing changes to the way meals were managed. A residents committee provided a forum for people to express their views and this was backed up by individual discussion with people and a series of questionnaires. People living at the home were well informed about how their home operated via the residents committee, newsletters and notices displayed in the foyer. Information was consistently given to people about how their views had shaped decisions made regarding the running of the home and discussions about decisions were open and transparent between the people living there and the management team.
People living at Mayfield felt safe and were well informed about safeguarding adult’s procedures. They were very confident any concerns they raised would be listened to and addressed.
Complaints were taken seriously, thoroughly investigated and lessons learnt from them.
People received the support they needed to manage their medication and their health. This support was discussed and agree with the person or their representative and was provided in a way that maximised their independence and choices.
Individual care plans were written with and agreed with the person or their representative wherever possible. They provided clear guidance for staff to follow and were reviewed continually as people’s support needs or lifestyles changed. People were fully aware of the contents of their care plan and regularly had the opportunity to discuss this with staff.
People told us that they were supported and given advice about decisions they needed to make but that staff were always aware that they had the right to make the final decisions themselves. Staff had a good awareness of their role in supporting people to make decisions while respecting the person’s rights. Different methods of communication and care planning were used to enable people to communicate their choices and the decisions they had made. Where people lacked capacity to make decisions their legal rights had been protected and staff knew how to support them safely. Staff worked in partnership with other agencies to support people who had complex decisions to make and lacked the ability to do so.
The home was managed by an experienced, knowledgeable and motivated registered manager who worked in partnership with the people living there, put their views, choices and needs central to operating the home and provided a good role model for staff.
The building was a clean, safe and pleasant place for people to live. It provided equipment and space to support people with their personal care and mobility needs and increase their independence.
There were enough staff working at the home to meet people’s needs and spend time interacting with them. Staff knew the people they supported well. They had a person centred approach to their role and worked in partnership with the people living there to ensure people got the support they needed in a way they preferred. This was backed up with support from the management team and continual training which increased staff skills.