Archived: Roberta House

Updated 10 September 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. 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 carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Roberta House 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.

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 reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We spoke with five people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the provider (who was also the registered manager), service manager, quality assurance manager, partner, and three care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We spoke with two professionals who have visited the service.

Updated 10 September 2019

About the service

Roberta House is a residential care home providing personal care to 16 people most of who are living with Korsakov’s syndrome and had a history of alcohol dependence.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection one person was in receipt of personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe living at Roberta House. However, we found when safeguarding incidents occurred, staff did not follow correct processes and reporting procedures. Although managers took action to investigate concerns, they did not inform the Local Authority safeguarding team or the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as required.

Managers did not always understand and comply with their regulatory responsibilities. We found some care plans were out of date and did not contain the level of detail need. Audits and quality assurance processes did not identify and act on the issues identified during our inspection.

The provider had identified that an additional staff member during the day would be beneficial to help meet people’s needs. They were in the process of recruiting new staff members to cover this post.

People’s care was based on their needs and preferences. People were supported to do things they enjoyed. People were independent and chose how to spend their time. Complaints were responded to appropriately.

People were involved in their assessment to ensure the service could meet their needs. Staff had received the training and support required to enable them to fulfil their roles. 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.

People told us they were happy living at Roberta House and liked the staff team that supported them. We observed people be supported to express their opinions about their care. People and staff had positive relationships based on mutual trust. Staff understood people’s conditions and needs well and were responsive to these.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 17 March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to safeguarding incidents and quality assurance processes at this inspection.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.