Welland House - Occupation Road

Updated 24 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 comprehensive inspection took place on 24 October 2018 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector. Prior to this inspection, we reviewed information that we held about the service such as notifications. These are events that happen in the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We also considered the last inspection report and information that had been sent to us by other agencies such as the local authority.

The people using the service were mostly non-verbal, and not able to speak with us, however, we were able to meet people and observe staff interact with them. After the inspection, we contacted the relatives of two people to gather their feedback. During the inspection, we spoke with the deputy manager, the operations manager, and two staff members.

We looked at the care records of two people who used the service. The management of medicines, staff training records, staff files, as well as a range of records relating to the running of the service. This included audits and checks and the management of fire risks, policies and procedures, complaints and meeting records.

Updated 24 November 2018

We inspected the service on 24 October 2018. Welland House – Occupation Road 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 accommodates up to 12 people who may have profound and multiple learning disabilities and complex needs. The service is split across two buildings on one site.

On the day of our inspection 9 people were using the service.

The care service had not originally 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. However, people were given choices and their independence and participation within the local community encouraged.

At our last inspection in June 2016 we rated the service ‘good.’ At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of ‘good’. However, the service was rated ‘requires improvement for ‘well led’ at this inspection. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The service did not always notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of certain events and incidents, as required. We found some safeguarding alerts had been raised by the service to the local authority, but they had not been sent in to the CQC to notify us.

There was a registered manager in post, although they were not available on the day of our 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.

Staff had a good understanding of abuse and the safeguarding procedures that should be followed to report abuse and incidents of concern. Risk assessments were in place to manage potential risks within people’s lives, whilst also promoting their independence.

Staff recruitment procedures ensured that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out to ensure only suitable staff worked at the service. Adequate staffing levels were in place. We saw that staffing support matched the level of assessed needs within the service during our inspection.

Staff induction training and on-going training was provided to ensure they had the skills, knowledge and support they needed to perform their roles. Specialist training was provided to make sure that people’s needs were met and they were supported effectively with any complex needs they may have.

Staff were well supported by the registered manager and senior team, and had regular one to one

supervisions. The staff we spoke with were all positive about the senior staff and management in place, and were happy with the support they received.

People's consent was gained when possible, before any care was provided. Relatives of people and social work professionals were involved in best interest meetings for people as and when required.

Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and wishes. Care plans reflected people’s likes and dislikes, and we saw that staff spoke with people in a friendly manner.

People were involved in the aspects of their own care they were able to be. People and their family were involved in reviewing their care and making any necessary changes.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service as and when it developed and had a process in place which ensured people could raise any complaints or concerns. Concerns were acted upon promptly and lessons were learned through positive communication.