25 April 2014
During a routine inspection
Is the service safe?
Is the service effective?
Is the service caring?
Is the service responsive?
Is the service well-led?
Below is a summary of what we found during our inspection of 49 Fellowes Way on 25 May 2014. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, discussions with people who used the service, the staff supporting them and looking at records.
Is the service safe?
People's needs had been assessed individually and were reviewed regularly by staff. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about people's individual requirements and how to support those needs.
Health and safety audits were carried out by the manager on a regular basis as part of a system for monitoring people's safety.
Where people had suffered an accident or been involved in an incident, the manager had reviewed these and implemented appropriate measures where necessary.
Is the service effective?
Staff promoted people's independence and ability to make choices as much as possible. Members of staff described a person-centred approach to care and demonstrated a good working knowledge of the contents of people's support plans.
Is the service caring?
We observed that people were treated in a dignified and courteous manner by the staff. Staff we spoke with were aware of people's individual needs and responded accordingly. Where possible, people were supported to live as independently as possible.
Is the service responsive?
We saw from records we looked at that the manager investigated incidents appropriately and implemented measures to reduce the risk of any re-occurrence. Where necessary they informed the Care Quality Commission and local authority, and worked pro-actively to manage any incidents.
Where there had been changes identified for people's support needs, the manager ensured that people's care records were updated to reflect these changes. These were reviewed and monitored regularly by staff and the manager.
Staff worked pro-actively towards resettling people in the community as soon as practicable. We saw that one person had recently been successfully resettled as a result of their changing support requirements.
Records required to be kept to protect people's safety and well- being were maintained and updated as required. These included, fire safety, Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) and records relating to the maintenance of the premises and gas equipment were appropriately maintained and kept securely. This demonstrated that records were kept securely and could be located promptly when needed.
Is the service well-led?
The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received. Members of staff were invited to attend meetings where they could raise any concerns and their feedback was listened to.
The views of people who used the service, and relatives, had been sought, and where appropriate the manager had implemented appropriate changes.
The manager carried out a range of audits to ensure that the service was effective and an action plan was developed from these. The operations manager visited the service frequently and carried out a series of checks to ensure that the quality of care was maintained and any actions from the audits were remedied.
We noted that a complaints policy was available to both visitors and relatives, and also an accessible format procedure was available to people who used the service. Where complaints had been received, these had been thoroughly investigated and documented.