There were 28 people living at Chestnut House on the day of our visit. Seventeen people lived in single room accommodation in the main building. A further 11 people were accommodated in a part of the service called Chestnut View in two bedroomed self-contained flats which had their own kitchen, lounge and bathroom. The service provided care for people living with mental health problems or a mild learning disability. We considered the findings of our inspection to answer questions we always ask: Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service well led?
Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our discussions with people using the service and the staff supporting them. We spoke by phone with a health professional who was familiar with the service. We spoke with five people. We also looked at six care records. We were unable to speak with family and friends as there were no visitors to the home on the day of our inspection.
Is the service caring?
We saw recorded in the care files that when a person's condition changed or deteriorated care staff called in the appropriate health professionals such as the person's GP or mental health team.
People were supported to be involved in their local community. We spoke with one person who told us they often went to the village shop. Other people told us they took the free shoppers' bus to a nearby town to do a weekly shop for personal items.
Is the service responsive?
There were processes in place to support staff to manage an emergency. For example, the contact details for the local mental health crisis team and the acute mental health admissions unit were posted beside the telephone in the office.
We saw that the provider had contingency plans in place in event of an emergency situation.
Is the service safe?
The service had policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The MCA states that every adult has the right to make their own decisions about their care and treatment and must be assumed to have capacity to make them unless it is proved otherwise. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are part of the MCA. DoLS supports people in care homes and hospitals to be looked after in a way that does not unlawfully restrict their right to freedom.
Regular safety checks were carried out on equipment used to make sure people were protected if there was a fire, emergency lighting and night time security. We found where risks were identified appropriate action had been taken to address these.
The service was safe, visibly clean and hygienic. We saw regular checks were made on the cleanliness of the building. Equipment was well maintained and serviced regularly and therefore did not put people at unnecessary risk. We observed regular maintenance was carried out, for example on electrical and fire equipment to ensure its safety.
People told us they felt safe and secure.
Is the service effective?
We looked at care files for six people. People had signed consent forms for having their photograph taken for identification purposes and at social events and for sharing their care files with other health and social care professionals.
We found pre-admission assessments of people's needs had been undertaken. People's risk assessments and care plans had been completed on admission and were reviewed regularly to ensure they were accurate. Any changes to people's plans of care were recorded and signed by the person and their key worker.
We saw the supervision and appraisal programme for 2014. All staff had received or had been booked to receive an annual appraisal and supervision every three months.
Is the service well led?
We read the minutes of the last quarterly residents' meeting held on 03 April 2014. Eleven people had attended and had discussed access to training to boost their self-esteem, the menus and the changes to the care file format. This meant people had a say in the running of their home.
All the people we spoke with told us they were happy with their care and treatment and felt safe and secure living in the home.