Archived: Stocksbridge Neurological Care Centre

Updated 30 October 2018

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 took place on 4 September 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team was made up of one adult social care inspector, one expert by experience and a specialist advisor. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The specialist advisor was a nurse with experience of working with people with brain injuries.

Due to technical problems, the registered provider was not able to complete and return a Provider Information Return prior to the inspection. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually 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.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, which included correspondence we had received and any notifications submitted to us by the service. Statutory notifications are information the registered provider is legally required to send us about significant events that happen within the service. For example, where a person who uses the service has a serious injury.

Before the inspection we contacted staff at Healthwatch, Sheffield and they had no concerns recorded. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We also contacted members of Sheffield council contracts and commissioning service and the NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group.

During the inspection we spoke with five people who lived at the home and three of their relatives. We also carried out a Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) to observe people's experience of daily life at Stocksbridge Neurological Care Centre. We met with the registered manager and business manager. We spoke with nine members of staff. We spent time looking at written records, which included five people’s care records, 10 people’s medicines administration records (MARs), five staff personnel files and other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 30 October 2018

This inspection took place on 4 September 2018 and was unannounced. This meant no-one at the service knew we were planning to visit.

We checked progress the registered provider had made following our inspection on 9 and 31 July 2017 when we found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was Regulation 19, Fit and proper persons employed. We also found a breach of Regulation 18 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, Notification of other incidents.

Following the last inspection, we asked the registered provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions of safe and well-led to at least good. During this inspection we found improvements had been made and the registered provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Stocksbridge Neurological Care Centre 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. Stocksbridge Neurological Care Centre is a 24 bed home providing personal and nursing care to people who have a brain injury. There were 18 people living at Stocksbridge Neurological Care Centre at the time of this inspection.

There was a registered manager employed at the service. 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 in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

There were enough staff available to ensure people’s needs were met. The registered provider had robust recruitment procedures to make sure staff had the required skills and were of suitable character and background.

Medicines were stored safely and securely, and procedures were in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff understood what it meant to protect people from abuse. They were confident any concerns they raised would be taken seriously by the registered nurse on duty and management, and responded to appropriately.

The premises were clean and well maintained. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in relation to infection control and hygiene.

Staff understood the requirements of 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 registered provider’s policies and systems supported this practice.

People enjoyed the food served at Stocksbridge Neurological Care Centre, which we saw took into account their dietary needs and preferences. Where appropriate, people were supported and encouraged to eat and drink.

Staff were provided with an induction and ongoing relevant training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff received regular supervision and yearly appraisal performance meetings, which they found useful.

People's privacy and dignity was respected and promoted. Staff understood how to support people in a sensitive way, while promoting their independence. People were treated with dignity and respect.

There was a range of activities and therapies available to people. People were supported to engage in activities that were important to them.

People’s care records reflected the person’s current health and social care needs. Care records contained up to date risk assessments and were regularly reviewed.

People, their relatives and staff told us the registered manager and business manager were supportive and approachable.

People, their relatives and staff were regularly asked for their views of the service. Concerns and suggestions were considered and acted upon.

There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Safety and maintenance checks for the premises and equipment were in place and up to date.

The service had up to date policies and procedures which reflected current legislation and good practice guidance.