Grammar School House

Updated 5 July 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Grammar School 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:

The inspection was carried out over two days; 29 May 2019 which was unannounced and 30 May 2019 which was announced.

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed information we held on the service, since the last inspection in February 2018. We reviewed any information we have received about the service through our website and notifications we had received from the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

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 met all ten people living at Grammar School House and spoke in detail with two people’s relatives. We spoke with the registered manager and five staff, including team leaders and support workers. We also spoke with the managing director and operations manager, who popped in during the inspection to support the registered manager.

The majority of people we met had complex learning disabilities and were not able to fully tell us of their experiences of life at the home. We therefore used our observations of care and our discussion with relatives, health professionals and staff to help form our judgements.

We looked at records relating to three people’s care, and multiple medicines records. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, audits, incident reports, staff training records and rotas.

After the inspection:

We contacted a person’s relative and sought feedback from the local authority and two health professionals who regularly visit to hear their views of the service. The registered manager also sent electronic copies of the polices and procedures we asked for, including their safeguarding policy.

Updated 5 July 2019

About the service:

Grammar School House is a residential care home providing personal care and support for up to 12 adults with learning disabilities and / or autistic spectrum. At the time of inspection 10 people, aged between 40 and 62 were living in the service.

The service has been developed and designed in line with 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.

The service was an adapted historic school house, bigger than most domestic style properties, but with ongoing refurbishment, lack of ‘care home signage,’ ensures the premises is noted on its historic value, not as a care home. Its location in the village, within close walking distance of the local shops and facilities is supportive of people being part of / involved in the local community.

People’s experience of using this service:

Relatives were complementary about the service and would recommend it to others. One relative told us, “Staff know the clients so well, know what people need…whole place has such a nice family feel.” Another said, “I just feel so lucky, care is second to none.”

People were supported by management and staff who were highly motivated, kind and compassionate.

Staff supported people to keep safe and acted when necessary to prevent any harm or discrimination. People were supported to receive their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported to eat healthy. Staff had built up good relationships with health professionals to ensure people’s learning disability and healthcare needs were met and supported.

Staff received the right training and guidance to enable them to effectively support people. People’s complex needs were well planned for.

The service had built up good links with the local community and supported people to access a range of activities to take part in if they wished. Visitors praised the welcoming atmosphere of the service.

Staff knew people well and understood people’s communication needs, preferred routines, likes and dislikes and what mattered to them.

Care plans were person centred and showed people and family members who played a significant in people’s lives had been consulted. Staff were responsive in identifying and reviewing changes to support good physical and mental health.

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 provider had systems in place to check on the safety and quality of the service people received and act on the information to drive continuous improvement.

Rating at last inspection:

Requires Improvement. The date the last report was published was 11 June 2018.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor this service and plan to re-inspect this service within the published timeframe for services rated as Good.

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