Archived: Royal Mencap Society - 27 Larchwood Close

Updated 17 October 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 visit took place on 18 September 2018 and was unannounced.

Before the inspection, we looked at all the information we held about the provider. This included the last inspection report, information from the public we had received and notifications. Notifications are for certain changes, events and incidents affecting the service or the people who use it that providers are required to notify us about. We also looked at publicly available information, such as the provider's own website and care home review websites, information from the food standards agency and through internet searches.

During the inspection visit we met four of the people who lived there, four support workers and the registered manager. We met two visiting relatives. We observed how people were being cared for and supported. We looked at the environment and equipment being used, we inspected how medicines were managed and we looked at records used at the service, which included three care plans, the recruitment records for three members of staff, records of audits, complaints, quality checks and staff training.

At the end of our inspection we discussed our findings with the registered manager.

Following the inspection visit, we contacted relatives and professionals by telephone to ask for their feedback. We spoke with one person's relative and one care professional.

Updated 17 October 2018

The inspection took place on 18 September 2018, and was unannounced

Royal Mencap Society - 27 Larchwood Close 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 was registered to provide care and support for up to seven adults with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, six people were living at the service. They received support 24 hours a day. The service was managed by The Royal Mencap Society, an organisation that specialises in providing care services for people with learning disabilities.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion so that people with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

The last inspection of the service was on 1 December 2015 when we rated the service good.

At this inspection the service remained good.

People living at the service were happy, relaxed and well cared for. Their representatives were happy with the support they were receiving. People's needs had been assessed and their care and treatment were planned so that these needs would be met. People were given support to learn independent living skills and try new things. They lived as part of a friendly community within the home and cared for each other.

Information about people's needs, the risks they were exposed to and their capacity to make decisions had been clearly recorded. Records were regularly reviewed and updated. People using the service, their representatives and the staff were involved in developing how care was planned. People were supported to take appropriate risks and there were systems to keep them safe and protect them from the risk of abuse. People received their medicines in a safe way, had access to a range of health services and had their nutrition and hydration needs met. They were supported to take part in community activities, both inside and outside of the home.

The staff were kind, compassionate and had positive relationships with the people who they were supporting. They had the information, training and support they needed to care for people and make sure they led fulfilling lives. The staff were happy working at the service and communicated effectively with one another to achieve the best outcomes for people who lived there. They were praised for good work and encouraged to strive for excellence.

The service was well managed. The registered manager had worked there for several years and knew people well. They advocated on behalf of people and made sure they had access to the right services and support. There were effective systems for monitoring the quality of the service and making improvements. The complaints procedure was clearly laid out and people using the service, visitors and staff felt empowered to raise concerns and share their feedback about the service.