The Barn

Updated 23 September 2020

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.

This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place. As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

This inspection took place on 25 August 2020 and was announced. The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control.

Updated 23 September 2020

We inspected this service on 11 October 2018 and it was unannounced. This meant that the service did not know we were coming. We last inspected the service on 14 February 2017 where it was rated as requires improvement in safe, effective and well-led and good in caring and responsive. This meant it was requires improvement overall. There were breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in regulations 12 Safe care and treatment and regulation 11 Need for consent. This was because the provider had failed to ensure infection control practices were not always promoted. They also failed to ensure Mental Capacity Assessments were always conducted and evidence was not always available to demonstrate that decisions had been made in the best interests of those who lived at the home.

Following our last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show us what they would do and by when to improve the key questions of safe, effective, responsive and well led to at least good. During this inspection, we found improvements had been made and were meeting the requirements of the current regulation.

The Barn is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The care service has 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.

The Barn accommodates up to 12 people who require support with personal care in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection 11 people lived at the service. All of the bedrooms were of single occupancy over two floors, there were two communal lounges, kitchen facilities and outside accessible space. The home was located in a residential area of Leyland close to local shops, amenities and public transport links.

The service had a registered manager in post at the time 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 was run.

People we spoke with to us they felt safe living in the home. Staff understood how to deal with any allegations of abuse and records we looked at confirmed investigations had been completed.

Systems were in place that ensured medicines were handled safely in the home. Medicines were stored safely in locked cupboards and records had been completed to confirm their administration safely.

Environmental checks and servicing had been completed as well as completed environmental risk assessments that confirmed that the home was safe for people to live in.

Training records confirmed that the staff had undertaken the relevant training to support their role. Appropriate numbers of staff were in place to deliver good care to people and we saw the staff had been recruited appropriately.

People were asked permission from staff before undertaking any care or activity. Details about consent was recorded in people’s care files. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications had been submitted to the assessing authority. 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.

The home was operating under the principle of registering the right support. People were involved in choice in respect of their care and were encouraged to be independent. Care files reflected people’s individual health needs and confirmed relevant professionals had been involved. Care plans and risk assessments contained good information about how to support people’s individualised needs.

A detailed programme of activities was available to people and we saw them taking part in a community activity on the day of our inspection.

We received positive feedback about the leadership and management of the home. All members of the staff team were open and transparent and supportive of the inspection. Audits and monitoring was being undertaken that demonstrated the home was safe for people to live in.

The procedure for raising complaints was available to people who used the service and visitors to home. We saw positive feedback from people about the home.