Background to this inspection
Updated
21 February 2020
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
Dales House 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
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We looked at information sent to us since the last inspection such as notifications about accidents and safeguarding alerts. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We sought feedback from the local authority safeguarding and contracts team and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service, two care staff, the deputy manager, the registered manager and the area manager. We looked at the cleanliness of the service and the facilities available for people. We observed how staff interacted with people and looked at a range of documentation including two people’s care files and medicine records. We looked at a selection of documentation for the management and running of the service and two staff files.
After the inspection
We spoke with three relatives and one healthcare professional. The provider sent us information regarding people’s achievements and outcomes, staff training matrix and a medication protocol.
Updated
21 February 2020
About the service
Dales House is a small residential care home in the city of Hull. It is situated in a residential area which is close to local shops and amenities. The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care to seven adults who have primary needs associated with a learning disability. The service was supporting seven people at the time of our inspection.
The service demonstrated the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were provided with exceptional care that was personalised to their preferences and routines, which enabled them to live their lives in the way they wanted. People achieved their goals and positive outcomes through accessing a wide variety of opportunities and activities with the support of dedicated staff.
People’s independence was promoted as staff encouraged choice, control and inclusion in the local community in line with the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This enabled people who use the service to achieve the best possible outcomes and live as full a life as possible.
People were happy with the care provided as staff were kind, caring, attentive and respectful. Staff had developed positive relationships with people and their families which were built on trust, honesty and respect.
People were protected from avoidable harm and abuse by trained, knowledgeable staff. Recruitment, induction and ongoing processes helped ensure only suitable staff were employed and that they had the required skills and knowledge. Staff were supported by the management team through supervision, team meetings and annual appraisals.
Staff supported people to access appropriate healthcare services, followed professional advice and provided consistent care. People were encouraged to eat a healthy diet and any concerns were raised with the relevant healthcare professionals. People received their medicines as prescribed.
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.
The management team promoted a positive and supportive culture, which supported people to achieve good outcomes. Quality assurance systems had maintained the quality and safety of the service. Learning from and working with other organisations helped ensure people got the support they needed.
For more details, please see the full report which is 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 06 June 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.