Colham Road

Updated 1 November 2023

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection visit was conducted by 2 inspectors. An Expert by Experience supported the inspection by making telephone calls to people's families following our site visit. 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

Colham Road is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. Colham Road 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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We looked at all the information we held about the provider. This included information they had shared with us about significant events and information we had received from others about 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.

During the inspection

We met all 11 people who lived at the service. One person could communicate using words and we spoke with them. We observed how people were being cared for. Our observations included the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We met and spoke with staff on duty, who included the registered manager, team leaders and support workers.

We looked at the environment, how medicines were managed and at records used by the provider for managing the service. These included care records for 4 people.

We spoke with the relatives of 7 people and 1 visiting professional over the telephone.

Updated 1 November 2023

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 assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Colham Road is a care home for up to 13 adults with a learning disability. People living at the service had complex healthcare needs and some had physical disabilities. Most people did not use words to communicate. The service was divided into 4 lodges off a central communal seating area. Each lodge had a front door, and communal facilities such as a lounge and dining room. People had their own bedrooms. There was equipment used to help people move, this included ceiling track hoists, as well as specialist beds and chairs.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting most of the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture. However, we identified some areas where improvements were needed.

Right Support: The systems for managing people's medicines were not always effectively implemented and this increased the risks to people using the service. The systems for preventing and controlling infection were not always followed.

The service was well equipped to meet the needs of people with physical disabilities. However, the dedicated sensory room was no longer in use, meaning people could not access this equipment and resource.

People were supported to make choices where possible. The staff knew people well and worked with others, including their families, to understand people's preferences. The staff had a good understanding of how people communicated and used different techniques to help present information in a way people understood. The staff supported people to have meaningful lives and pursue a range of interests and social activities. The staff did not use restraint. The staff worked closely with other professionals to help make sure people's needs were met.

Right Care: Staff promoted equality and diversity, helping people to celebrate their culture and religion. Staff treated people with kindness and respected their privacy. They were gentle, caring, and responsive to people's needs. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse.

The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe. The staff had access to a range of training and had the information they needed to care for people well.

Care and support plans included personalised information and guidance for staff to meet individual needs. Their planned care, health needs and medicines were regularly reviewed by staff and other professionals involved in their care.

Right culture: Staff understood people's strengths, impairments, and sensitives. They provided compassionate and empowering care tailored to their needs. Staff turnover was low, and this helped to ensure people were supported by the same consistent staff who knew them well. Staff placed people's wishes, needs, and rights at the heart of their work. The staff involved people's families and other professionals when developing care plans.

Relatives and staff felt well supported by the management team and able to raise concerns with them. They felt concerns were acted on and lessons learnt when things went wrong. There were systems to monitor and audit the service to help improve quality and people's experiences.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 22 November 2017).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of right support right care right culture.

Follow up

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