Background to this inspection
Updated
23 July 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 7 June 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection team comprised of one inspector.
As part of the inspection process we looked at the information we already had about this provider. Providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission about specific events and incidents that occur including serious injuries to people receiving care and any safeguarding matters. These help us to plan our inspection. The provider was asked to complete a 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 took this into account when we made the judgements in this report.
During our inspection we spoke with four people. Some people’s needs meant that they were unable to verbally tell us their views. We observed how staff supported people throughout the day. We spoke with the registered manager, care co-ordinator and two care staff. We looked at the care records of two people, the medicine management processes and at records about staffing, training and the quality of the service. We spoke on the telephone with the relatives of two people and received information from a health care professional.
Updated
23 July 2016
This inspection took place on 7 June 2016 and was unannounced. We last inspected the service in November 2013 and found it was compliant with all the regulations we looked at.
The service is registered to provide care for up to five people who have a learning disability and had a registered manager 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.
People who used the service and their relatives told us that the home was safe. Staff were aware of the need to keep people safe and they knew how to report allegations or suspicions of poor practice.
People were protected from possible errors in relation to their medication because the arrangements for the storage, administration and recording of medication were good and there were robust systems for checking that medication had been administered in the correct way.
There were sufficient appropriately trained, skilled and supervised staff and they received opportunities to further develop their skills.
The registered manager had approached the appropriate authority when it was felt there was a risk people were being supported in a way which could restrict their freedom. Staff had been provided with training about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) but not all staff were aware that Deprivation of Liberty applications had been submitted.
People were supported to maintain good health and to access appropriate support from health professionals where needed. People were supported to eat meals which they enjoyed and which met their needs in terms of nutrition and assessed risks.
People told us or indicated by gestures and their body language that they were happy at this home and this was confirmed by people's relatives. We observed caring staff practice, and staff we spoke with demonstrated a positive regard for the people they were supporting. People and, where appropriate, their relatives, were consulted about their preferences and people were treated with dignity and respect.
People’s needs had been assessed and care plans developed to inform staff how to support people appropriately. Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s individual needs and preferences.
The registered manager had a good level of understanding in relation to the requirements of the law and the responsibilities of her role. We had not been notified about some incidents that we should have been to comply with regulations. It was not evident that arrangements for checking the safety and quality of the service by the registered provider were effective in driving forward continuous improvement and making sure identified areas for improvement were actioned.