St Aidans

Updated 16 February 2022

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 COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 2 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 16 February 2022

St Aidans is a residential short term break service that provides care to adults with learning difficulties. Some people may have other disabilities. At the time of the inspection there was one person staying at the service with three more people to be admitted later in the day.

At the last inspection in August 2015 the service was rated as ‘Good’.

At this inspection we found the service remained 'Good'.

The inspection visit took place on 13 October 2017 and was announced.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection who had been appointed in registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in July 2015. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.

People using the service and their relatives told us that people were safe and well treated. During the inspection we saw that people appeared happy and content and not at risk of harm.

Safeguarding adult’s procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported from abuse and appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work. People were being supported to have a healthy balanced diet. People’s medicines were managed safely and they received their medicines as prescribed by health care professionals.

Staff had received training specific to the needs of people using the service, for example, mental health awareness and safeguarding adults. They received regular supervision and an annual appraisal of their work performance. The registered manager and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

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.

People’s relatives and health care professionals had been involved in planning for their care needs. Care plans and risk assessments provided clear information and guidance for staff on how to support people to meet their needs. Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible and to do things they wanted to do.

The registered manager recognised the importance of regularly monitoring the quality of the service provided to people. The provider sought the views of relatives of people using the service, staff and health care professionals through annual surveys and regular meetings. They used feedback from these events to make improvements at the home. Staff said they enjoyed working at the home and they received good support from the registered manager.

People and their relatives knew how to raise a concern or to make a complaint. The complaint’s procedure was available and people said they were encouraged to raise concerns.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.