Richardson Grove Limited

Updated 8 September 2023

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 3 inspectors.

Service and service type

Richardson Grove is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Richardson Grove is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from local authorities and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke and communicated with 7 people who used the service and 2 relatives about their experience of the care provided. Some people who used the service were unable to talk with us but used different ways of communicating including sounds, objects, pictures and their body language.

We spoke with 9 members of staff including support workers, senior support workers, the registered manager and head of care.

We spent time observing people to understand their experience of life in the home.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people's care records and 7 medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 8 September 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Richardson Grove Limited is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 18 people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder or associate physical health needs. The home comprises of 2 adjacent houses with 18 en-suite bedrooms, communal kitchen/diner and living rooms with access to gardens. It is situated in a residential area. At the time of the inspection 18 people were living there.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff focused on people's strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.

People were supported by staff to take part in activities and pursue their interests in the local area. Staff supported people to achieve their aspirations and goals.

The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs. People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their bedrooms.

Staff supported people to make decisions following best practice in decision-making. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs. Staff supported people to play an active role in maintaining their own health and wellbeing. People had full access to health and social care to maintain their health and wellbeing. Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence and achieved the best possible health outcome.

We have made a recommendation about managing medicine alerts.

Right Care

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs and promoted equality and diversity in their support for people.

People told us or communicated with us they were happy living at Richardson Grove. Relatives feedback was their family members were safe and happy at the service. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.

People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs. There was enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe.

People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, pictures and symbols could interact comfortably with staff and others involved in their care and support because staff had the necessary skills to understand them.

People's care, treatment and support plans reflected their range of needs and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. People could take part in activities and pursue interests that were geared towards them.

Staff and people worked together to assess risks people might face. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks.

Right Culture

People received quality care, support and treatment because trained staff and specialists could meet their needs and wishes. People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the registered manager and staff.

People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation to the wide range of strengths, impairments or sensitivities people with a learning disability and/or autistic people may have. This meant people received compassionate and empowering care that was tailored to their needs.

Staff placed people's wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. They knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing.

People and those important to them were involved in planning their care. The service enabled people and those important to them to work with staff to develop the service. Staff valued and acted upon people's views.

People's quality of life was enhanced by the service's culture of improvement and inclusivity. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity.

The registered manager and provider had implemented effective checks and audits on the quality and safety of the service. When shortfalls were identified, action was taken to address these.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 16 May 2022 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under a previous provider was requires improvement (published on 26 November 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for this service has improved to a rating of good based on the findings at this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.