SENSE - 88 Church Lane

Updated 27 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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

SENSE - 88 Church Lane is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager who was registered with the CQC. The registered manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service was run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced.

Before the inspection,

The provider had not been asked to complete a new Provider Information Return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We attempted to secure feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. This information helps support our inspections. We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who have some limitations to their communication skills. We met and spent time with all five people who used the service and spoke with two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four staff and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included health action plans, support plans and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and a variety of records about the management of the service including policies and procedures. We looked at the premises which included people’s bedrooms, the kitchen, the laundry, the main lounge and dining room.

Updated 27 March 2020

About the service

SENSE - 88 Church Lane is registered to provide personal care and accommodation to a maximum of five people. People who live there may have a sensory condition, learning disability and/or autism. At the time of the inspection five people lived at the home.

The service applied the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensured that people who use the service 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. People using the service received planned and coordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them. They lived in a domestic size house that had no external visible features of it being a care home.

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

Risks relating people’s individual circumstances were known and managed to minimise the risk of accidents and injury. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse and safe recruitment processes were in place. Relatives and staff felt adequate staff were provided to meet people’s needs and to keep them safe. People received their medicines as they had been prescribed. Infection prevention processes reduced the risk of people contracting and spreading infections.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service achieve the best possible outcomes, including 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.

Induction training was in place to introduce new staff to their role and the people they were to support. Training had been received by staff and was generally refreshed in line with the provider's timeframes. People were supported by staff who knew their personal preferences and individual needs well. People were encouraged, where possible, to make decisions about their care and support. Relatives were involved in decision making relating to their family member where this was appropriate. Staff had a good insight of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were offered the food and drink that they liked and staff encouraged people to take a healthy diet. Referrals were made to healthcare professionals where required to ensure people's health needs were met.

Relatives felt staff were kind and caring and treated people with respect and dignity. People were encouraged to develop and maintain their independence skills. Relatives could visit their family member when they wanted to and were welcomed by staff. People were supported and enabled to maintain contact with their families.

Reviews of people’s care and support needs were undertaken regularly. People and their relatives were included in these processes to ensure all needs were determined and addressed. Relatives felt confident and comfortable to raise any complaints they had with the staff or registered manager. Relatives confirmed they were kept up to date with important information relating to their family member.

Relatives felt the service worked well and was well-led. Audits were undertaken to determine what the service did well and where corrective action was required. The registered manager was visible within the service and people and their relatives were aware of who they were. The registered manager understood their regulatory responsibilities and their requirement to provide us (CQC) with notifications about important events and incidents that occurred whilst the service was delivering care.

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 good (published 07 August 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.