Background to this inspection
Updated
31 July 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 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.
This comprehensive inspection took place on 29 May 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.
At the last inspection on 5 January 2017 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
Before the inspection, we reviewed information available to us about this service. The registered provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) in December 2016. This is a form, which asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.
We also checked the information that we held about the service and the service provider. This included previous inspection reports and statutory notifications sent to us by the provider about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send to us by law. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection.
As people used various methods of communicating, it was difficult to obtain people's views regarding the quality of the service, so we spent time observing people in areas throughout the service to see interactions between people and staff. We observed medication administration, activities, staff handover meeting and the lunchtime meal. We spoke with the manager and four care staff. We spoke with two relatives following the inspection.
We reviewed five people’s care records, looked at six staff files and reviewed records relating to the management of medicines, complaints, training and how the registered person monitored the quality of the service.
Updated
31 July 2018
This comprehensive inspection took place on 29 May 2018 and was unannounced.
1 Sheepfold Avenue 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.
1 Sheepfold Avenue is registered to support up to seven people with learning disabilities or other complex needs, such as Autism or mental health. At the time of the inspection there were seven people living at the home. The home provided personal care and support to adults of various age groups and gender.
1 Sheepfold Avenue detached house with communal areas over two floors. A purpose-built lift enabled people to mobilise between floors. There was a kitchen and shared dining area which was open and accessible to people. One lounge that were used both for recreational activities. In the corridor on the first floor, was a small sitting area. A back garden was used by people who used the service. The service had been developed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support guidance and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any other citizen.
At the last inspection on 5 January 2017, the service was rated as good in the areas of Safe, Effective, Caring and Responsive. The service was rated as requires improvement in the area of well-led but the overall rating for the service was Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
The service had a manager, who had been in post since October 2017. The manager informed us that her registration as registered manager was in progress and that she had recently undertaken her registration interview.
The service had improved the management and notification of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard authorisations.
People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Risks had been identified and there were clear plans in place to guide staff in how to support people safely. Staff understood their responsibilities with regards to safeguarding people. Infection control measures were effective and incidents and accidents were monitored and used to inform improvements. A relative told us that they felt their family member was, “Very safe at the service”.
People were supported to have maximum choice in their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Staff had received training that was relevant to effective support people at the service.
People were supported to have enough to eat and drink and to meet specific nutritional requirements. People were supported to access the health care support that they needed.
Assessments and care plans were developed to support staff to provide care in a personalised way. Staff understanding of people’s communication needs was good and allowed them to support people effectively and proactively.
People's privacy was respected and staff supported people to be as independent as possible.
The service was well led and staff spoke positively about the management of the home. There were effective systems and processes in place to monitor the quality of the service including a complaints system.