Arbour Street

Updated 15 May 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was conducted by an adult social care inspector.

Service and service type:

Arbour Street is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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. The registered manager was not available on the day of the inspection.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection was announced because it is a small service and we needed to make sure that people would be available to talk with us and provide information.

Inspection site visit activity was completed in one day on the 29 April 2019.

What we did:

Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about. We also sought feedback from the local authority. We assessed the information in the provider information return. This is key information providers are required to send us about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help us plan the inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with two people living at Arbour Street. We also observed the provision of care within the service and on a community activity.

We also spoke with the operations director, the quality improvement lead, a senior support worker and a support worker. We looked at two care records, two staff recruitment files, records relating to the administration of medicines, audits and other records associated with the management of the service.

Updated 15 May 2019

About the service: Arbour Street is a residential care home which is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for three people with learning disabilities. Accommodation is provided over two floors. The home provides personalised care to meet the needs of people in their own home and the wider community. At the time of the inspection three people were living at Arbour Street.

The service has been developed and designed 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 experience of using this service:

The service provided individualised care and support in accordance with best-practice. People’s experience of living at the home was positive. The people that we spoke with told us that they were happy with the care and support provided and did not want to change anything about the service.

People were cared for by staff who knew them well, understood their needs and provided effective care to keep them safe. Risk was subject to regular review and was effectively managed. People received their medicines as prescribed from trained staff. The home was clean and well-maintained.

Staff received regular training and support and were equipped to provide effective care. Care was provided in-line with best-practice guidance and legislation. 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. When people were unable to make decisions about their care and support, the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) were followed.

People spoke positively about the staff and the way in which care was provided. Staff treated people with kindness and respect and supported their dignity in a sensitive manner. People were encouraged and supported to maintain their independence. They were actively involved in decision-making regarding their own care and developments within the wider home.

Care was personalised and met the needs of each individual. Care records captured important information regarding people’s histories, families and preferences. This information was used to tailor the provision of care to meet each person’s needs. There were no complaints recorded in the previous 12 months.

The registered manager, provider and staff promoted an open, positive culture with a focus on high-quality, person-centred care. The registered manager and provider made effective use of audits and other sources of information to review and improve practice. The home had forged links with other services and resources in the local community to support further development.

More information is provided in the full report.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 16 November 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating from the last comprehensive inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

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