Victoria House

Updated 25 August 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 was a comprehensive inspection which took place on 11 and 12 July 2018 and was carried out by one inspector. The inspection was unannounced.

Before the inspection we looked at information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). 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 looked at the notifications received from the service and reviewed all the intelligence CQC held, to help inform us about the level of risk for this service. We also contacted the local authority safeguarding and commissioning teams.

We looked at three people's care records and three medication administration records (MARs). We also looked at a selection of documentation in relation to the management and running of the service. This included stakeholder surveys, quality assurance audits, complaints, recruitment information for three members of staff, staff training records and policies and procedures and records of maintenance. We also took a tour of the premises to check general maintenance as well as the cleanliness and infection prevention and control practices within the service.

We spoke with three people who used the service and five relatives. We spoke with six members of staff including the cook, activities coordinator and registered manager and deputy manager.

Updated 25 August 2018

The inspection took place on 11 and 12 July 2018 and was unannounced.

Victoria House is a residential care home for up to 25 people with physical disabilities. The home is owned by the Disabilities Trust and is purpose built over two levels. Facilities include two adapted kitchens, a large and a small communal lounge, two passenger lifts, activities room, training/computer room, sensory room and gardens.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Staff had received safeguarding training and were aware of how to recognise and respond to risk. Individualised risk assessments were in place and people were supported with positive risk-taking to maintain their independence, choice and control. There were sufficient numbers of staff who were deployed appropriately in the service to meet people’s needs and support people to live safely and as they had chosen to.

Staff were equipped with the necessary skills to provide effective care and support. 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.

People were supported by staff who were kind and caring; they promoted people’s independence and treated them with dignity and respect.

People were supported to live their lives to their fullest, as active members of the community which enhanced their lives. They were supported to follow their interests and engage in things important to them. People’s care plans were very person-centred and were reviewed regularly with them to ensure they were involved, and goals were set, which they were supported to achieve.

The service was well-led; systems were in place to assess and improve the quality of the service and complaints were responded to thoroughly. There was an open culture and learning was encouraged to drive improvement.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.