Archived: Broom Cottage

Updated 6 September 2016

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.

The inspection took place on 26 April 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was completed by one inspector.

Before the inspection visit we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included any notifications the provider had sent us about what was happening in the home. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that providers must tell us about. We spoke with local authority commissioners who contract with the service to fund people’s accommodation and care. We also spoke with Healthwatch Derbyshire, who are an independent organisation that represent people who use health and social care services.

We spoke with three people who used the service. Not everyone who used the service could fully communicate with us and so we also completed a Short Observational Framework (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We also spoke with relatives of two people who used the service and one professional involved with the care of people using the service. We spoke with three members of staff, including a senior support worker, the registered manager (who was also one of the registered providers) and the second registered provider. We looked at three people's care plans and reviewed other records relating to the care people received. We also looked at recruitment records and staff training records and other records including audits such as medicine administration, staff rotas, training records and policies and procedures

Updated 6 September 2016

The inspection took place on 26 April 2016. The home was last inspected on 3 April 2014 when it was compliant in all areas and no concerns were identified.

The home is located in the village of Stonebroom in Derbyshire and provides personal care and support for up to five adults with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. Some people may have associated conditions that included sensory disability, epilepsy and behaviour that can put themselves or others at risk. At the time of our inspection five people were living at Broom Cottage.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 happy, comfortable and relaxed with staff and said they felt safe. They received care and support from staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their individual needs.

Safe recruitment procedures were followed and appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out by the provider. Staff were supported by the registered manager to provide care to the people they provided care for.

There were caring and compassionate relationships between the people who used the service and staff. People were happy with their care and they were supported to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care.

People's nutritional needs were assessed and records were accurately maintained to ensure people had a balanced diet. People were involved in decisions about what meals they ate on a daily basis.

Medicines were managed safely in accordance with current regulations and guidance by staff who had received appropriate training to help ensure safe practice. There were systems in place to ensure medicines had been stored, administered, audited and reviewed appropriately. People were able to access health and social care when required.

People were encouraged and supported to make their own life choices. Best interest decision making was undertaken where people could not make their own decisions. The registered manager and staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were always consulted before care was given.

People were encouraged and supported to express their views about their care and staff responded to their concerns and wishes. Relatives and professionals involved with the home were able to influence what happened to individuals where this was appropriate.

There was a person centred culture in the home which had been developed with the people who used the service, their relatives and staff. The registered manager and staff were aware of their responsibilities.