Felstead Street

Updated 15 April 2021

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.

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

This inspection took place on 31 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 15 April 2021

This inspection took place on 6 and 7 February 2018 and was unannounced . The last inspection was a focused inspection on 23 December 2016. That inspection was to follow up if improvements had been made with the key questions of Safe and Effective from a comprehensive inspection conducted on 29 and 30 March 2016. We found during the focused inspection the service had made improvements and had an overall rating of Good.

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

Felstead Street provides accommodation and care for 24 people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection 22 people were using the service. Look Ahead provided the support and an independent landlord owns the property.

The service did have a registered manager however the person had been temporarily transferred within the company. The team leader in the service was acting in the role as the manager. 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 is run.

Staff had a good understanding of the safeguarding procedures and followed protection plans to minimise the risk of harm to people. Staff had a good working relationship with the community policing team. Thorough recruitment checks were completed to assess the suitability of the staff employed. Medicines were stored and administered safely. The home environment was clean and the home was free of malodour.

Staff undertook training and received regular supervision to help support them to provide effective care. Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). MCA and DoLS is legislation protecting people who are unable to make decisions for themselves or whom the state has decided need to be deprived of their liberty in their own best interests. We saw people were able to choose what they ate and drank. People told us they enjoyed the food. The home was well decorated and adapted to meet the needs of the people.

People told us that they were well treated and the staff were caring. We found that support plans were in place which included information about how to meet a person’s individual and assessed needs. People’s cultural and religious needs were respected when planning and delivering care. Discussions with staff members showed that they respected people’s sexual orientation so that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people could feel accepted and welcomed in the service. People had access to a wide variety of activities.

The provider had not explored people’s wishes for end of life care. We have made a recommendation about involving people in decisions about their end of life care.

The service had a complaints procedure in place and we found that complaints were investigated and where possible resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant.

Staff told us the service had an open and inclusive atmosphere and the manager was approachable and open. The service had various quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms in place. These included surveys, audits and staff and house meetings.