Dryad Spinney

Updated 10 May 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 28 March 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 10 May 2022

Dryad Spinney 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.

Dryad Spinney provide accommodation and personal care and support for up to five adults who have learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. There were four people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

At the last inspection on 12 November 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The atmosphere throughout the home was friendly, calm and caring. The staff spoke about people in a respectful manner and demonstrated understanding of their individual needs.

Staff understood how to identify, report and manage any concerns related to people’s safety and welfare. There were systems and processes in place to protect people from harm, including how medicines were managed.

Safe recruitment practices were followed and appropriate checks had been undertaken, which made sure only suitable staff were employed to care for people in the home. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people’s needs.

Staff were supported to provide appropriate care to people because they were trained, supervised and appraised. There was an induction, training and development programme, which supported staff to gain relevant knowledge and skills.

People were supported to have 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 received regular and on-going health checks and support to attend appointments. They were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their needs and to make informed choices about what they ate.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and staff were prompt to raise issues about people’s health so that people were referred to health professionals when needed. There were systems in place to help ensure any concerns or complaints were responded to appropriately.

People were supported to do the things that interested them, maintain relationships and to participate in community activities.

The registered manager demonstrated an open management style and provided leadership to the staff team. There were a range of systems in place to assess and monitor the quality and safety of the service and to ensure people were receiving appropriate support.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.