Vibrance - 24A Corporation Road

Vibrance 24A Corporation Road is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to six people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs of all ages at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to eight people. The building is purpose built and all on one level.

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

At our last inspection we identified issues with the assessment of risks, reporting of safeguarding concerns and staffing recruitment, induction, supervision and appraisal. At this inspection we found that improvements had been made to people’s safety and wellbeing and staff were appropriately recruited and supported to carry out their role and responsibilities.

There were systems in place to assess and mitigate risks to people’s safety, wellbeing and independence. People received their medicines safely and the premises were accessible, clean and comfortable. There were systems in place to reduce the risk of infection and lessons were learnt from accidents and incidents.

There was enough staff to meet people’s needs. There were clear processes in place to recruit the right staff to ensure they were suitable for the role. New staff received induction and ongoing training to provide them with the skills and knowledge they needed to support people well.

Best practice guidance was used to ensure people received good quality care. They were provided with a balanced diet and involved in shopping, choosing and cooking their meals. Staff worked closely with a range of health care professionals to support people’s health and wellbeing.

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 staff team were very kind and caring and provided support in a very person-centred way. They were clear and passionate about their responsibilities and enabled people to be as independent as possible.

People were enabled to have a fulfilling life with a clear emphasis on helping people to communicate effectively and make decisions and choices about their day to day wishes and future.

Peoples care plans were detailed, informative and updated to reflect their changing needs. Their history, likes, dislikes, preferences and protected characteristics were recorded. People were supported to follow their interests and had access to a range of social opportunities both within the service and in the local community. A complaints process was available, and complaints dealt with appropriately. There was a very compassionate support system in place for people and their families who may require end of life care.

The service was well led and managed by an experienced and proactive manager. People who used the service and staff were involved in the development of the service. Regular audits were undertaken to identify learning and drive improvement.

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 25 February 2019) and there was a breach of Regulation 12. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of the regulations.

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.

24A Corporation Road is one of many services owned by Vibrance. The service provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people who have a learning disability.

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. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At the last inspection on 23 March 2016, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service had deteriorated to ‘Requires Improvement’.

This inspection was completed on 19 December 2018 and there were eight people living in the service when we inspected.

This service was selected to be part of our national review, looking at the quality of oral health care support for people living in care homes. The inspection team included a dental inspector who looked in detail at how well the service supported people with their oral health. This includes support with oral hygiene and access to dentists. We will publish our national report our findings and recommendations in 2019.

The service had 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.

Though arrangements were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided, these arrangements did not identify the concerns and risks to people that we found as part of this inspection.

Not all risks to people were identified and managed to prevent people from receiving unsafe care and support. Not all staff had received a thorough induction and suitable arrangements were not in place for staff to receive regular formal supervision or an appraisal of their overall performance. Improvements were required to ensure recruitment and medication practices and procedures were followed. Although staff were verbally able to demonstrate a satisfactory understanding and awareness of abuse, not all allegations of abuse had been investigated.

The service was appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the people using the service. People received their medication as prescribed and in a safe way. People were protected by the providers arrangements for the prevention and control of infection.

People’s nutritional and hydration needs were met and they were provided with drinks and snacks throughout the day. People received appropriate healthcare support as and when needed from a variety of professional services. The service worked together with other organisations to ensure people received coordinated care and support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were treated with care, kindness, dignity and respect. People received a good level of care and support that met their needs and preferences. Staff had a good knowledge and understanding of people’s specific care and support needs and how they wished to be cared for and supported, including end of life care.

Support plans were in place to reflect how people would like to receive their care and support, and covered all aspects of a person's individual circumstances, with the exception of one person using the service. Social activities were available for people to enjoy and experience both ‘in house’ and within the local community. Information about how to make a complaint was available and no complaints had been received at the service since our last inspection in 2016.

24A Corporation Road is one of many services owned by Vibrance. The service provides accommodation and personal care for up to eight people who have a learning disability.

The service had 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.

Staff had a good understanding and knowledge of safeguarding procedures and were clear about the actions they would take to protect the people they supported.

There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs. Appropriate recruitment checks were in place which helped to protect people and ensure staff were suitable to work at the service. Staff told us that they felt well supported in their role and received regular supervision.

Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were appropriately assessed, managed and reviewed. Support plans were sufficiently detailed and provided an accurate description of people’s care and support needs. People were supported to maintain good healthcare and had access to a range of healthcare services. The management of medicines within the service ensured people’s safety.

Appropriate assessments had been carried out where people living at the service were not able to make decisions for themselves and to help ensure their rights were protected.

People were supported to be able to eat and drink satisfactory amounts to meet their nutritional needs and the mealtime experience for people was positive. People were treated with kindness and respected by staff. Staff understood people’s needs and provided care and support accordingly. Staff had a good relationship with the people they supported.

An effective system was in place to respond to complaints and concerns. The provider’s quality assurance arrangements were appropriate to ensure that where improvements to the quality of the service was identified, these were addressed.

We found that people using the service were consulted about the care and treatment they received.

People were supported and cared for by a team of staff that were appropriately skilled, trained and motivated. Staff were positive about their manager and they demonstrated the appropriate knowledge to maintain the care and welfare of people using the service.

People lived in a home that was well maintained, safe and suitable for their needs. We found people were protected from the risk of abuse as staff demonstrated a clear knowledge of what was expected of them.

Staff that we spoke with were motivated, they were positive about the service and their manager. Staff were able to demonstrate the appropriate knowledge and skills to maintain the care and welfare of people using the service.

The manager and the team demonstrated that they were keen to continue to move the service forward to benefit the lives of people using the service. We saw evidence of systems in place to maintain the quality of the service and identify any areas for improvement.

We found that people were protected from the risk of abuse as staff were clear on what was expected off them.