Strathmore House

Updated 3 January 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Strathmore House 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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all information we had to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

During the inspection day we met all the people who used the service and spoke with six people specifically about their experience of living in the service. We spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager, senior support worker and a support worker. During the inspection visit we also spoke briefly with other staff about specific activities or tasks that they were engaged in with people using the service. After the visit we spoke on the telephone with two relatives of people about their experience of the care that was provided.

We reviewed some of the records maintained in the home including records of care planning, risk management, specific support needs and medication administration. We looked at two sets set of staff recruitment records and at the training records for the whole staff team. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 3 January 2020

About the service

Strathmore House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 14 people who have a learning disability. The accommodation is provided in one large adapted building and is spread over two floors. Each person has their own single occupancy room and has shared use of bathrooms and all communal rooms.

The service is a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to 14 people when it opened. Twelve people were using the service at the time of the inspection which is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

The service operates in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible to gain new skills and participate in a varied range of local activities.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People continued to receive support and care that made them feel safe and staff understood how to protect people from abuse and the risk of harm. Risks to people were assessed and guidance about how to manage these was available, all staff were clear about action they would take. Processes in place to recruit staff ensured that adequate numbers of suitable staff were available to support people. People safely received medicines as they were required.

There were enough skilled staff on duty to meet people’s needs and provide them with support to engage in activities of interest to them and activities of daily living. People were supported to maintain good health and spoke about the contact they had with doctors and other healthcare professionals as needed to keep them well.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. Healthy eating was encouraged in the home and people received a varied and balanced diet.

Relationships and interactions between staff and people living in the home were positive and relaxed. People were clearly at ease in the company of staff and with each other.

People continued to be cared for by staff who displayed kindness and compassion in ways that upheld their privacy and dignity. Staff ensured that people were supported to make choices and maintain a good level of independence in line with their abilities and wishes. People’s diverse needs were recognised with support and, access to activities were supported and enabled by staff.

The provider had effective systems in place that were used to regularly review people’s care and support that had been provided. Care plans and detailed assessments were individual and contained a wealth of information about people, their needs, their wishes and cultural needs. The registered manager and staff ensured that people’s individual care and support needs were met. Reviews were regularly undertaken so that positive outcomes could be provided for people.

Staff and relatives of people expressed confidence in the registered manager and staff. They said they were well informed and updated by the home about all aspects of the care provided. Relationships between the registered manager and staff were positive and all said that communication in the home was good with information about people shared in a timely manner. Regular audits and checks were conducted by the provider to maintain and check on the quality of the service provided.

The care home continued to be well-led, with checks and monitoring arrangements used to maintain the quality of the service provided. People using the service had a good relationship with the registered manager and expressed confidence in being able to approach the registered manager at any time. Required information was available in the home and made available when requested. Information for people using the service was available and presented in formats that people found useful.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (report was published in July 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk