Eastbank

Updated 30 May 2019

The inspection:

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

Inspection team:

This inspection was unannounced and was conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type: Eastbank provides accommodation and care for up to seven people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and dementia. On the day of our inspection, there were seven people living at the home.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

Inspection site visit activity started on and ended on 02 May 2019.

What we did:

We contacted the local authority before our inspection and asked them if they had any information to share with us about the care provided to people. We looked at the information we held about the service and the provider. We looked at statutory notifications that the provider had sent us. Statutory notifications are reports that the provider is required to send us by law about important incidents that have happened at the service.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. This information helped us to focus our inspection.

We observed how staff supported people throughout the day. We spoke with two people who lived at the home, the provider, registered manager and two staff. We also spoke with two relatives, via the telephone. We looked at two records about people’s care, which included risk assessments and healthcare information. We also looked at the medication administration records, quality assurance audits that were completed by the registered manager, two recruitment files and the complaints and comments had received.

Updated 30 May 2019

About the service: Eastbank is located in Hereford, Herefordshire. The service provides accommodation and care for up to seven people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and dementia. On the day of our inspection, there were seven people living at the home.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. 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 citizen.' Registering the Right Support CQC policy

People’s experience of using this service:

• People enjoyed living at the home and were complimentary about staff and the way the home was managed.

• People, relatives and staff told us they saw the provider and registered manager regularly and found them approachable.

• Staff understood risks to people’s safety and supported them to stay as safe as possible.

• There were enough staff to care for people at times people wanted assistance.

• People were supported to have their medicines safely and checks were undertaken to ensure these were administered as prescribed.

• The risk of infections and accidental harm was reduced, as staff used the knowledge and equipment provided to do this.

• Staff spoke very affectionately about the people they cared for. People were confident to request support and reassurance from staff when they wanted this, and staff took time to provide this in the ways people preferred.

• People told us staff respected their rights to make their own decisions about their lives and care. Where people needed support to make some decisions staff assisted them, using people’s preferred ways of communicating.

• Staff had received training and developed the skills they needed to care for people, through induction and on-going training. People told us staff knew how to help them and knew what to do if they suspected anyone was at risk of harm.

• People had good access to other health and social care professionals and staff followed any advice given.

• People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this.

• Staff ensured people had opportunities to do things which they enjoyed, and people were supported to keep in touch with others and religious practices that were important to them.

• The views of people, relatives and other health and social care professionals were considered when people’s care was assessed, planned and reviewed, so people’s needs continued to be met, and based on people’s preferences.

• Procedures were in place to take any learning from complaints and to further improve people’s care.

• People’s wishes for their care at the end of their lives had been planned and the views of their relatives considered.

• The registered manager and provider checked the quality of the care provided and encouraged suggestions from people and staff to improve people’s care further.

• The registered manager kept up to date with best practice developments, so they could develop the care provided further.

Rating at last inspection

At our last inspection the overall rating of this provider was Good. The report was published on 19/10/2016.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the ratings at the last comprehensive inspection. The rating has improved to Good overall.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive until we return, as part of the inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

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