Archived: Rhuddlan

Updated 29 January 2016

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection was carried out on 5 January 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location was a small service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we looked at all of the information that we had about the service. This included information from notifications received by us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. Also, before the inspection, the provider completed a provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make. In addition to this information, we sent out surveys to a person who used the service and members of care staff.

We received completed surveys from one person who used the service and from one member of care staff. During the inspection we spoke with two people who were using the service; one relative; the registered manager; the area service manager and two members of care staff. We observed care to help us with our understanding of how people were looked after.

We looked at one person’s care records, their medicines administration records and records in relation to the management of staff and management of the service.

Updated 29 January 2016

Rhuddlan is registered to provide personal care and offers a supported living and domiciliary care service. The people who use the service live with a learning disability and autism. At the time of our visit there were two people using the service.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 5 January 2016 and was announced.

A registered manager was in post at the time of the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (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 were kept safe as much as possible and staff were knowledgeable about reporting any incident of harm. People were looked after by enough staff to support them with their individual needs. Pre-employment checks were completed on staff before they were assessed to be suitable to look after people who used the service. People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed and medicines were safely managed.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts of food and drink. They were also supported to access health care services and their individual health needs were met.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. The provider was acting in accordance with the requirements of the MCA so that people had their rights protected by the law.

People had mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

People were looked after by staff who were trained and supported to do their job.

People were supported by kind, respectful and attentive staff. Relatives were given opportunities to be involved in the review of their family members’ individual care plans.

People were supported with a range of hobbies and interests that took part in and out of the home. Care was provided based on people’s individual needs. There was a process in place so that people’s concerns and complaints were listened to.

The provider had not submitted notifications as they were required to. This omission had reduced the provider’s ability to demonstrate that they operated a transparent culture as part of their duty of candour. The registered manager was supported by a team of managerial and care staff. Staff were supported and managed to look after people in a safe way. Staff, people and their relatives were able to make suggestions and actions were taken as a result. Quality monitoring procedures were in place and action had been taken where improvements were identified.