The Mews

Updated 12 January 2024

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

The Mews is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. The Mews is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people who used the service and 4 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 7 members of staff including the registered manager, and care workers.

We observed staff interacting with people. We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 12 January 2024

About the service

The Mews is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 8 people. The service provides support to people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were 8 people using the service.

People’s experience of the service and what we found:

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessment and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support

We found some minor concerns in relation to infection control; however, the provider took appropriate actions to ensure these concerns were rectified.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The service met the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and support was planned in people’s best interests.

Risks associated with people’s care and support were assessed, monitored and managed to ensure people were safe. People were supported by sufficient staff to meet their needs and ensure people’s preferences were adhered to. Staff knew people well. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People’s needs were assessed, and support was provided in line with what people wanted and needed. People received good outcomes and met their health, social and emotional needs.

Right Care

The management team and staff promoted person-centred care and ensured people’s privacy, dignity and human rights were upheld. Staff respected people and offered choices and supported them in making decisions.

We found healthcare professionals had been referred to appropriately and staff ensured their support and advice was implemented.

Right culture

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people could lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Staff felt supported by the management team.

The overarching governance system included a series of audits which checked areas such as medication, infection control and the environment. Any issues raised were addressed in a timely way.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 27 October 2017).

Why we inspected

We undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key question not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Mews on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow Up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.