Archived: Ivers

Updated 15 September 2015

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 31 July 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service. This included notifications regarding safeguarding, accidents and changes in the service. Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Record (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.

Following our inspection we contacted the local authority’s contract monitoring team and the clinical commissioning group involved in the care of people living at the home to obtain their views on the service.

In order to gain further information about the service we spoke with eight people living in the home. We also spoke with six members of staff. We spoke with three relatives and three healthcare professionals.

We looked around the home and observed care practices throughout the inspection. We looked at six sets of care records. We reviewed records relating to the running of the service such as environmental risk assessments and quality monitoring audits.

Updated 15 September 2015

This unannounced inspection took place on 31 July 2015.

Ivers is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 25 adults with a learning disability. On the day of our inspection there were 23 people living in the home. People lived in either the main house or one of four bungalows built on the site. Each bungalow accommodated four people. On the day of our visit there were seven people living in the main house. Two of whom lived in a flat on the top floor.

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. On the day of our inspection the registered manager was on annual leave, however the deputy manager was available to help us.

Some people living in the home were unable to verbally communicate with us or engage directly with the inspection process. People demonstrated they were happy in their home; they were relaxed and engaged either with staff or in an activity meaningful to them. People were valued and well cared for by staff. People and their relatives told us staff were friendly and caring. Staff demonstrated a high commitment to their work and had built up positive relationships with people. People were treated as individuals and their diverse needs respected and met.

People received the support they required in a way which was tailored to their individual needs and preferences .Families told us they were involved in decisions about their loved one’s care and they felt listened to. People had an individual programme specific to them. There was a wide range of activities available for people both in the home and in the community. One healthcare professional told us the activities were “second to none and the staff are fantastic at giving people meaningful activity.”

Staff, people, relatives and healthcare professionals told us the home was integrated into the local community. For example one relative told us when they go into the village people in the community know their loved one by name and are warm and friendly. People attended social events in the village. One healthcare professional told us staff have made good contacts with the local community and relatives described it as accepting and inclusive.

People were protected from harm and abuse. There were policies and training in safeguarding adults and staff knew their responsibilities for reporting poor practice .People told us they felt safe and relatives told us they had no concerns and trusted their loved ones were safe living in the home.

There was an open transparent culture. People, staff and relatives told us they could approach the manager and felt listened to.

People were cared for by staff with the appropriate skills and experience. Some staff had worked in the home for a number of years and enjoyed their work. There had been five new staff recruited due to vacant posts. New staff were waiting to start work once all the necessary recruitment checks had taken place.

People told us they loved living in their home and liked having their own space. One person told us “ it’s so comfortable, I love having my own room.” People’s rooms were personalised with their own belongings and people were involved in decisions about decoration and furniture.

There were regular health and safety checks to ensure the home was safe such as infection control and checks of electrical goods. There were some outstanding maintenance jobs, to do with the general upkeep of the building. The provider had interim plans to carry out essential maintenance work. The deputy manager told us there were plans to have a maintenance person attend the site on a regular basis.