The Grove -6

Updated 21 March 2020

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

One inspector carried out this inspection

Service and service type

The Grove-6 is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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. The registered manager was not available during the inspection and an acting manager and the area manager were supporting the service in their absence.

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 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

Some people had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us about their experience of the service. We observed how staff interacted with and supported people in communal areas of the service. This helped us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We spoke to one person and three relatives about their experience of the care provided to them or their family members. We spoke to six staff members including support workers, the acting manager and the area manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple 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 audits, policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

The acting manager sent us further evidence in relation to training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 21 March 2020

About the service

The Grove-6 is a residential care home providing personal care to seven adults living with a learning disability or autism the time of the inspection. People had their own bedrooms and shared communal areas such as the kitchen, bathrooms and the garden.

The service had 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.

The service was part of a larger cluster of three services which were all located on the same site. The size of the service had some negative impact on people living there due to the service being located far away from local amenities and having limited access to public transport. The service was clearly a care home and there were identifying signs such as a large sign and industrial waste bins.

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

Quality audits of the service were not always effective in ensuring that the service was safe, in areas such as fire safety. The management team did not always check the effectiveness of staff training or observe staff performing their jobs, to feedback and improve their practice. Some aspects of the service did not promote positive outcomes for people, as staff members would sometimes be required to support the other services on the site with transport to and from day services.

People and their relatives were happy with the support they received at the service. One relative told us, ‘‘The Grove is one of the best services in the world and is the best place that [person] can be.’’

People received kind and compassionate care from a staff team who knew them well. Staff supported people to be as independent as they could be and respected their privacy and dignity. People received personalised care which met their needs and they were supported to take part in activities, in and out of the service, depending on their interests. People had been supported to put plans in place for the end of their life.

People were kept safe by a staff team who had a good understanding of safeguarding and the risk assessments that were in place to protect people from harm. There were enough staff to support people safely and checks were in place to ensure that staff were suitable to work at the service. Staff received training and support to be effective in their job roles. People were supported safely with their medicines and the home was kept clean and free from infection.

People’s needs were regularly assessed to ensure that people were receiving the correct support. Staff supported people to have a balanced diet and live healthy lives. Health professionals were involved in people’s care to ensure that they received the 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.

The service didn’t always apply the full range of principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent. However, the location of the service sometimes limited people’s access to new activities or the community.

The management team promoted a positive culture at the service. People and their relatives were involved and encouraged to feedback about the service. The service linked and worked well with other organisations to ensure good outcomes for people.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 21 February 2019). At this inspection, although improvements had been made, the service still requires improvement. This is the second time this service has been rated as requires improvement.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.