Dimensions 2 Dunstans Drive

Updated 16 November 2017

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 was unannounced and took place on 10 October 2017. It was completed by one inspector.

Before the inspection the provider sent us their provider information return (PIR). This 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. We looked at all the information we have collected about the service. This included notifications the registered manager had sent us and the previous inspection report completed in October 2015. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

We looked at the four care plans, daily notes and other documentation, such as medication records, relating to people who use the service. In addition we looked at some records related to the running of the service. These included a sample of health and safety, quality assurance and meetings records.

We interacted with the four people who live in the home, they were unable to clearly verbalise their views. However, we observed how staff provided care throughout the inspection visit. We spoke with three staff members and the operations director. We received written comments from some relatives of people who live in the service, after the inspection visit. We requested information from five other professionals and received one response.

Updated 16 November 2017

This was an unannounced inspection which took place on 10 October 2017.

Dimensions – 2 Dunstan’s Drive is a residential care home which is registered to provide a service for up to four people with learning disabilities. Some people have other associated difficulties including physical and sensory needs. There were four people living in the home on the day of the visit. The service offered ground floor accommodation in four bedrooms.

At the last inspection, on 7 October 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

There is a registered manager running 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.

Staff continued to ensure people were kept as safe as possible from abuse, harm or poor practice. Staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and health and safety policies and procedures. Additionally they were trained in health and safety policies and procedures which provided them with the knowledge and understanding of how to keep people, visitors and themselves safe. High staffing ratios ensured people were supported safely and staff were able to meet people’s individual needs. The recruitment procedures remained effective in making sure appointees were suitable and safe to work with people. People were given their medicines safely.

People’s current and changing needs continued to be responded to effectively and in a timely way. People’s health and well-being needs were met by staff who worked with health and other professionals to ensure they received any necessary medical or specialist care.

People continued to be supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff offered them care in the least restrictive way possible, the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People continued to benefit from receiving care form a kind and caring staff team. Highly individualised care planning ensured staff used a person centred approach and respected people’s equality and diverse needs.

The service remained well - led which ensured it was able to provide good quality care. The registered manager was on extended leave but the service was managed by an interim team, in their absence. The management team were described as accessible, approachable and supportive. The quality of care the service provided was assessed, reviewed, improved and developed as necessary.