The Firs

Updated 1 June 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 inspection was unannounced and took place on 23 April 2018. It was completed by one inspector.

The provider was not asked to send us a provider information return (PIR). This document is designed to provide key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We gathered this information as part of the inspection visit.

We looked at all the information we have collected about the service. This included the previous inspection report and notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

We looked at documentation for three people who live in the service. This included care plans, daily notes and other paperwork, such as medication records. In addition we looked at records related to the running of the service. These included a sample of health and safety, quality assurance, staff and training records.

During our inspection we observed care and support in communal areas of the home. We interacted with people who live in the home. Some people had limited verbal communication but were able to express their views by facial expression, body language or staff interpreted the meaning of their individual communication methods. We spoke with five staff members, the registered manager, a peripatetic manager who was supporting the registered manager and the operations manager briefly following the inspection. We requested information from a range of other professionals, family members and staff. We received five responses from family members and four visiting professionals. In addition, we received written feedback from six staff members, three of whom whilst employed by the provider had roles such as communication/engagement and health/welfare and supportive responsibilities across the village site.

Updated 1 June 2018

The Firs is a care home without nursing which is registered to provide a service for up to ten people with learning disabilities and some with physical disabilities. There were nine people living in the service on the day of the visit. All accommodation is provided within a two story building within a village style development.

We carried out a focussed inspection on 2 February 2017 to follow up concerns about how the service was managed which we had found at the previous inspection on 13 February 2016. We found that whilst there had been improvements some concerns remained.

This unannounced inspection took place on 23 April 2018. At this inspection we found the service was Good overall. We found considerable improvements with the management of the home which had positively impacted on all aspects of the quality of the service provided.

Why the service is rated Good overall:

There is a registered manager running the service. 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.

People’s safety was contributed to by staff who had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and health and safety policies and procedures. Staff understood how to protect people and who to alert if they had any concerns. General operational risks and risks to individuals were identified and appropriate action was taken to eradicate or reduce them.

There were enough staff on duty at all times to meet people’s diverse, individual needs safely. The service now had a stable staff team. The provider had robust recruitment procedures. People were given their medicines safely, at the right times and in the right amounts by trained and competent staff.

The service remained effective. Staff were well-trained and able to meet people’s health and well-being needs. They were able to respond effectively to people’s current and changing needs. The service sought advice from and worked with health and other professionals to ensure they met people’s needs.

People were encouraged 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 practise.

The service continued to be caring and responsive. The committed, attentive and knowledgeable staff team provided care with kindness and respect. Individualised care planning ensured people’s equality and diversity was respected. People were provided with a range of activities, according to their needs, abilities, health and preferences. Care plans were reviewed by management regularly. Care plans contained up to date information and records demonstrated that risk assessments were usually reviewed within stated timescales.

The registered manager was well regarded and respected. The quality of care the service provided continued to be reviewed and improved, as necessary.