Archived: The Corner House

Updated 18 June 2015

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 unannounced and took place on the 21 and 22 October 2014. It was undertaken by an inspector, specialist advisor in learning disability and a pharmacy inspector.

Before our inspection we reviewed information. This included notifications, which are changes, events and incidents that the provider must tell us about, and the provider information return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with two people who used the service, two staff and the registered manager. We spoke with two external health and social care professionals who supported people who used the service.

We observed how staff approached and interacted with people receiving care and we looked at one person’s care records. We looked at a range of other records relating to the care people received. This included some of the provider’s checks of the quality and safety of people’s care, staff training and recruitment records, food menus and medicines administration records.

Updated 18 June 2015

The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 21 and 22 October 2014. The Corner House is a home for up to three people with learning disabilities. There were two people using the service at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager at the service at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At the last inspection on 2 August 2013, we asked the provider to take action to make improvements to risk assessments as part of the care planning process. The provider sent us an action plan stating improvements would be made by 10 September 2013. We found this action had been completed.

People using the service were at reduced risk of abuse because of the steps taken by the provider. Decisions related to people’s care were taken in consultation with people using the service, their representatives and other healthcare professionals, which ensured their rights were protected.

Where people using the service lacked capacity to understand certain decisions related to their care and treatment, best interest meetings were held which involved family members, independent mental capacity advocates, and social workers.

There were enough staff available at the service and staffing levels were determined according to people’s individual needs.

Staff received training that was relevant to supporting people with learning disabilities. Staff were supported through links with community healthcare professionals to ensure people received effective care relating to their on-going healthcare needs.

People told us they enjoyed living there and told us that staff were caring. People were able to take part in hobbies and interests of their choice.

The registered manager at the home was familiar with all of the people living there and staff felt supported by the management team. Staff and people using the service had daily discussions and regular meetings that enabled them to make suggestions and be involved in decisions about the service.