The Cottage

Updated 19 May 2021

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 28 April 2021 and was announced.

Updated 19 May 2021

We completed an unannounced inspection at The Cottage on 22 November 2018. At our previous inspection on 08 December 2016 we found that improvements were needed to ensure systems were in place to safeguard people from abuse. We asked the provider to send us an action plan to show how the improvements were to be made and when these would be completed. The service was rated as Requires Improvement overall. At this inspection we found the required improvements had been made.

The Cottage 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 Cottage accommodates a maximum of six people. At the time of the inspection there were six people using the service. The Cottage followed 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.

There was a registered manager at 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.

The registered manager was visible, approachable and acted as a role model for staff. There was a strong focus of person centred care within the service, which staff followed in practice to ensure people led a full and varied life. Staff were encouraged to create and develop ways to increase community links which achieved positive outcomes for people. Feedback was welcomed to drive improvements in people’s support.

People were empowered to have choice and control over their lives and had been actively involved in community projects and consultations which affected the local area they lived in, this meant people experienced an improved quality of life because they were supported to explore new opportunities and were proud of the achievements they had made. Complaints systems were in place and people were supported to understand and make decisions about their end of life.

People received safe care and we found there were enough staff to provide support to people that met their needs. We found that people’s risks were assessed and managed to protect them from the risk of harm and people received their medicines safely. The provider had safe recruitment procedures in place to ensure that staff were of a good character and suitable to support people who used the service. People were protected from infection and cross contamination risks.

People were supported to make decisions about their care and staff sought people’s consent before they carried out support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People’s nutritional needs were met and people had positive mealtime experiences. People had access to health care services and advice sought was followed by staff to ensure people’s health and wellbeing was maintained. Staff received training to enable them to support people effectively. The environment was designed and adapted to meet people’s needs and promote independence.

People were treated with dignity and staff were caring and kind. People’s privacy was respected an upheld, people chose to have time to themselves in their private rooms and staff respected their wishes. Staff understood people’s individual communication needs. Staff supported people to maintain relationships with relatives/friends.