Background to this inspection
Updated
15 November 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 took place on 17 October 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.
Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the service in the key questions of safe and well-led. We found that improvements had been made in these areas and to the quality of care provided.
We used the information we held about the service to formulate our inspection plan. This included information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed other information we held about the service. This included statutory notifications that the provider had sent to us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. These include information about safeguarding concerns, serious injuries and deaths that had occurred at the service.
We spoke with one person who used the service and three relatives. We did this to gain their views about the care and to check that standards of care were being met. Some people who used the service were not able to speak to us about their care experiences so we observed how the staff interacted with people in communal areas and we looked at the care records of two people who used the service, to see if their records were accurate and up to date. We also looked at three people’s medicines management and administration records.
We spoke with four members of care staff and spoke with the registered manager on the telephone as they were not available at the service on the day of the inspection visit. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service. These included two staff recruitment files, meeting minutes and quality assurance records.
Updated
15 November 2018
This inspection took place on 17 October 2018 and was unannounced.
At the last inspection the service was rated as requires improvement. We found the provider was not meeting all the requirements of the law by ensuring people were safeguarded from potential abuse and notifying us of changes at the service which are required by law. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve to at least good. During this inspection we found that the provider had done what they said they would do and were no longer in breach of regulations.
Choices Housing Association Limited – 1 William Street 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.
1 William Street accommodates up to six people, who may have learning disabilities in one adapted building. At the time of this inspection there were five people using the service.
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.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. 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 were protected from avoidable abuse and harm by trained staff. Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people's needs and staff had their suitability to work in a care setting checked before they began working with people. Medicines were managed safely, so that people received their medicines as prescribed. Risks were assessed, identified and managed appropriately, with guidance for staff on how to mitigate risks. Premises and equipment were kept clean and tidy. The registered manager had systems in place to learn when things went wrong.
People’s needs and choices were effectively assessed. People were supported by trained staff and received effective care in line with their support needs. Staff received regular supervision and had access to continuous training. People had a choice of food which they enjoyed and they received support to meet their nutrition and hydration needs. The environment was designed and adapted to support people effectively. Healthcare professionals were consulted as needed and people had access to a wide range of healthcare services. 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.
Staff were kind, caring and compassionate with people. People were supported to express their views and encouraged to make their own choices, as staff met their individual communication needs. People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who knew them well.
Staff understood people and their needs and preferences were assessed and regularly reviewed. People were supported to participate in activities that they preferred. People and their relatives were involved in the planning and review of their care. People's diverse needs were considered as part of the assessment and care planning process. People felt confident to raise any concerns or complaints and there was an accessible complaints policy and procedure in place. People were supported to consider their wishes about their end of life care.
A registered manager was in post and was freely available to people, relatives and staff. People, their relatives and staff were involved in the development of the service and they were given opportunities to provide feedback that was acted upon. We found the registered manager and provider had systems in place to check on the quality of the service and used this to make improvements. Continual learning and improvements were encouraged. The service worked in partnership with other agencies.