Archived: Cherriton

Updated 22 November 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. 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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Cherriton is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who was able to tell us about their experience of living at Cherriton. We carried out a SOFI observation. Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) is a methodology we use to understand the quality of the experiences of people who use services who may be unable to provide feedback due to their cognitive or communication impairments. SOFI helps us assess and understand whether people who use services are receiving good quality care that meets their individual needs.

We spoke with five members of staff including the area manager and a senior support worker. The registered manager was not available during the day of the inspection but was able to forward some information we requested after the inspection.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and three medication records. We looked at two 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.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data. We also spoke with two relatives of people who use the service.

Updated 22 November 2019

About the service

Cherriton provides accommodation and support for six adults who have learning disabilities. It is run by MacIntyre Care who provide support services to people across the country. There were five people living there at the time of the inspection.

The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.

As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people. The service used some medication to be given when needed; this was monitored carefully and administered in a person-centred way, in line with positive behaviour support principles.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This helped ensure that people who used the service lived as full a life as possible and achieved the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The building design fitted into the residential area and with other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff did not wear anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

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.

Most people living at Cherriton were unable to vocalise their opinions of the support they received. They required a lot of support for personal care. However, people's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible to enjoy positive experiences. Staff were motivated and worked in a positive way to develop trusting relationships. The service enabled people to pursue leisure interests and maintain relationships with families and friends.

There were enough staff employed to ensure people were supported. We observed staff engaged in positive support which was warm and caring. Staff we spoke with told they were supported well and received training and supervision.

Support plans identified the needs of people and plans contained enough person-centred information to identify and meet the preferences of people receiving care.

People had access to healthcare and the registered manager worked closely with other agencies to ensure successful outcomes were achieved.

Systems were in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people. These included systems to protect people from the risk of abuse and receive their medicines safely.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (last report published 14 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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