Archived: Spencer House

Updated 12 May 2016

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 the 11 and 14 April 2016 and was announced. 48 hours’ notice of the inspection was given to ensure the registered manager was available to assist us with the inspection. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service including statutory notifications we had received about the service. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send us. We also reviewed a Provider Information Return (PIR). A 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.

During our inspection we spoke with four people who used the service, one relative, one advocate, four members of staff, the assistant manager and the registered manager. We looked at a range of records including four people’s care plans and records, four staff files, staff training records, staff rotas, arrangements for the management of medicines, a sample of policies and procedures and quality assurance information.

Updated 12 May 2016

The inspection took place on the 11 and 14 April 2016 and was announced.

Spencer House provides a supported living service. There are 15 flats for people with a learning disability. There were 15 people receiving the service on the day of our inspection.

A registered manager was in post. 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. The registered manager was supported by an assistant manager to ensure the daily management of the service.

The service provided good care and support to people enabling them to live fulfilled and meaningful lives. People were supported by skilled and well trained staff who ensured people were safe and encouraged them to achieve their full potential and live as independently as possible. The registered manager and staff understood and complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People told us the service was a safe place to live and there were sufficient staff available to meet people’s individual needs. The provider had effective recruitment procedures in place to protect people from the risk of avoidable harm. Staff understood the risks and signs of potential abuse and the relevant safeguarding processes to follow. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were appropriately assessed, managed and reviewed. There were safe systems in place for receiving, administering and disposing of medicines and people received their medication as prescribed.

There was a strong emphasis on person centred care. Care plans were person centred and included people’s preferences and individual needs. Care plans were regularly reviewed and people were involved in the planning of their care. The service was flexible and responded to people’s changing needs.

People told us they were happy with the care and support they received; they were treated with dignity and respect and care was provided in a kind and caring way. People’s nutritional needs were met and people were supported to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. People received support to access health and social care professionals and services.

There was an effective system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service provided. The registered manager was able to demonstrate how they measured and analysed the care and support provided to people, and how this ensured that the service was operating safely and was continually improving to meet people’s needs.