Fearnley House

Updated 4 September 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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Fearnley House 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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a 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 took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

We reviewed the notifications received from the provider. The law requires providers to send us notifications about certain events that happen during the running of a service. We contacted local authority teams engaged with the service, including clinical commissioning groups, continuing health care groups, the local fire authority and environmental health for information to aid the planning of our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the four people living at Fearnley House, who had limited verbal communication. We spoke with the registered manager, the provider’s assistant regional director and seven staff including three senior support workers, two night staff and two bank staff.

We observed care and support people received in communal areas, including the administration of medicines and consumption of meals. We looked at four people’s care records, six staff recruitment and training files, the provider’s policies, procedures, quality assurance systems and other records demonstrating how the service was managed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with five relatives of people using the service and six health and social care professionals who support people living at the home.

Updated 4 September 2019

About the service

Fearnley House is a care home without nursing, which provides accommodation and personal care for up to four adults living with a learning disability or autism. At the time of the inspection there were four people living at the service. The service is situated in a busy residential area of Old Windsor, Berkshire. The home is a bungalow house with four bedrooms, a communal bathroom, lounge, kitchen and dining room. The service is located next door to another home in the provider’s care group.

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.

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

Family members and community professionals consistently praised the quality of the personalised care and support provided by people living at Fearnley House.

People experienced safe care. Risks to people were identified and managed safely by staff who understood their responsibilities to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm. Enough staff with the required skills and knowledge provided people with safe care. People received their medicines safely, as prescribed, from staff who had completed the required training and had their competency assessed to do so.

Staff maintained high standards of cleanliness and hygiene in the home, in accordance with the provider’s infection control policy. We observed staff followed good food hygiene practice when preparing and storing food. Safety concerns were consistently identified by staff who took prompt action to ensure people were protected. Accidents and incidents were reviewed by the registered manager to identify trends and to ensure necessary learning was shared with staff.

People received effective care and support which consistently achieved successful outcomes and promoted a good quality of life. Staff felt valued and well supported by the management team through a system of effective training, competency assessment, supervision and appraisal. Staff consistently delivered care in accordance with people’s support plans and recognised best practice.

People experienced genuine choice and support to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet and good health.

Staff were kind, compassionate and responded in a timely and caring way when people experienced physical pain, discomfort or emotional distress. Staff knew people’s interests and preferences and supported them to access community activities of their choice and to pursue education opportunities, which enriched the quality of their lives. People were supported to maintain relationships with people close to them, through personal contact and use of technology.

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 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.

The service was well-led, based on an open culture and the provider’s values, including honesty, compassion and dignity. The management team monitored the delivery of care against these values.

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 (report published 20 April 2017).

Why we inspected: This was a planned, comprehensive inspection.

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.