Palmyra

Updated 31 May 2019

The inspection:

We carried out our inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. Our inspection checked whether the provider was 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.

Inspection team:

The inspection was completed by an adult social care inspector.

Service and service type:

The service is a residential care provider. It provides personal care and accommodation to younger and older adults living with a mental health condition.

There was 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.

Notice of inspection:

Our inspection was unannounced.

What we did:

Our inspection was informed by evidence we already held about the service. We also checked for feedback we received from members of the public, local authorities and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). We checked records held by Companies House.

We asked the service to complete a 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 spoke to seven people who used the service. We also spoke to four relatives to give us a better understanding of people’s experiences of care at Palmyra.

We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, two care staff, a domestic and a volunteer.

We reviewed four people's care records, four staff personnel files, audits and other records about the management of the service.

Updated 31 May 2019

About the service:

Palmyra is a residential service that was providing personal care to 13 adults living with an enduring mental health condition at the time of the inspection.

Situated close to local amenities, the service appears externally as a domestic property on a residential street. Palmyra accommodates up to 15 people in one building. There is ramp access to the front of the house. Bedrooms are situated over three floors. A kitchen, dining room and lounge are situated to the ground floor. There is a large enclosed garden situated to the rear.

People's experience of using this service:

Although Palmyra catered for adults of all ages, most of the people living at Palmyra were older adults. Palmyra offered support to people who had been unable to live independently in the community.

People living at Palmyra were very much a part of the local community and accessed the community and its facilities through both socialising and activities. Some people had family members and friends who lived locally and visited them on a regular basis.

There was enough staff to support people to engage in whatever activity they chose. This helped to promote people’s choice, independence and inclusion. The size, layout and staffing arrangements meant that Palmyra had a homely feel. People and their relatives told us they were settled and happy living at Palmyra and considered it as home.

People received care from staff who had been supported in their role with appropriate training and supervision. Staff were caring and compassionate and knew people's needs and preferences well.

Regular checks and audits were carried out to determine the quality and safety of the care being provided.

Risk assessments had been undertaken to support people safely and in accordance with their individual needs. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible.

People were encouraged to express their views and were actively involved in decisions about their care.

The registered manager and registered provider promoted a person centred and transparent culture within the service. The ethos of the service was to give people the freedom to enjoy an everyday life.

Rating at last inspection:

At our last inspection, the service was rated "Good.’’ Our last report was published in October 2016.

Why we inspected:

All services rated "Good" are re-inspected within 30 months of our prior inspection.

This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned for future dates.

The service met the characteristics for a rating of "Good" in all the key questions we inspected.

More information is in our full report.