Short Breaks - 8 Broadlands Walk

Updated 26 June 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. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection team consisted an adult social care inspector.

Service and service type:

Short Breaks - 8 Broadlands Walk is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. 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.’

Notice of inspection:

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is a small home and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection site activity started on 14 May 2019 with a visit to the location to review records and systems and ended on 16 May 2019 after making telephone calls to people who used the service, their relatives and staff.

What we did:

Before the inspection we considered information we held about the service and including about events and incidents the provider must notify us about. We asked service commissioners for their experiences of service provision. We asked the service to complete a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection we reviewed records relevant to the running and quality monitoring of the service and the training and recruitment records for new staff employed in the last year. We looked at care records and a selection of records including medication administration.

We spoke with two people who had used the service to ask about their experiences. We spoke with two care staff about their experiences of working for this service. We spoke with staff at day services people attended.

After the inspection we continued to seek clarification from the manager to corroborate what we found. This included training information, rotas, and incident and accident tracking.

Updated 26 June 2019

About the service:

Short Breaks - 8 Broadlands Walk is a care home providing respite care for up to four people with a learning disability and/or mental health needs. At the time of the inspection one person was using the service.

People's experience of using this service:

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent. We saw that people were given choices in their everyday lives and their independence and personal development was well supported and participation within the local community was very actively encouraged. The service had gone to great lengths to get find out what people wanted out of life and to take steps to achieve that.

Staff were aware of people's life history and their preferences. They used this information to develop positive relationships and deliver person centred care. People told us staff were kind, their friends and they felt well cared for.

Staff assessed and reviewed people's physical, mental health and social needs and updated care plans when changes happened. Records confirmed people's choices were always considered and they and/or their representatives had been fully involved in deciding on their care.

Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service and described potential risks and the safeguards in place. The provider had safeguarding systems to protect people from the risk of abuse and staff had received training on this and knew what action to take

There were sufficient numbers of suitably trained and experienced staff available to meet the needs of people who used the service. Staff received regular supervisions and appraisals to support their practice.

The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure. Relevant checks were carried out when staff were employed to help make sure they were suitable to work in the home.

People were supported to receive their medicines correctly by staff who had received training and had competency checks before undertaking this task. Staff worked with other agencies and health professionals to support people to receive the treatment and support they needed

The home was clean and maintained and suitable environmental adjustments had been made for the people who used the service. Appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out and advice sought from appropriate agencies. Staff had received training in infection control.

The registered provider had procedures in place for assessing a person's mental capacity in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. 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 told us they enjoyed the meals provided and their dietary needs and choices had been catered for. Information on people’s nutritional and hydration needs was clearly stated in their care plans.

People's social and emotional needs were considered as part of the overall service. The staff helped people staying in the home to maintain their friendships and independence and encouraged them to care for themselves where possible and make their own daily choices. Advocacy services were available if needed

Complaints were managed in line with the service’s procedures and records confirmed the outcomes of the concerns. People told us what they would do if they had any concerns. Staff felt supported by the management team and were comfortable raising any concerns.

The provider had systems to assess and monitor quality and people told us they were asked for their views about the support they received. The staff completed audits within the home to support quality monitoring.

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

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated good. (Published 2 November 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

The service will be re-inspected as per our inspection programme. We will continue to monitor any information we receive about the service. The inspection may be brought forward if any risks are identified.