Croft House and Cottages

Updated 22 January 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 11 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours notice of the inspection.

Updated 22 January 2022

About the service: Croft House and Cottages provides a supported living service for up to six people with learning disabilities and autism. There were five people using the service at the time of the inspection. The service is also registered to provide up to three short-break places in separate accommodation. At the time of this inspection there was no one using the short-break service.

People’s experience of using this service: People received a personalised service from caring, compassionate staff. People had good relationships with staff and enjoyed being with them. Staff knew people’s needs and preferences very well. Relatives said the staff were “kind, brilliant and “friendly” and that people had “blossomed” since using the service.

People were encouraged to make their own decisions and staff understood how people communicated their choices. People were supported to achieve independent living goals. Staff made sure that people were treated with dignity and respect and in a way that was free from discrimination.

Staff had had training and recognised the signs of abuse or neglect and what to look out for. Management and staff understood their role and responsibilities to report any concerns.

Staff understood how to keep each person safe although risk assessments did not always have enough information to make sure this was consistent. Medicines were administered in the right way but medicine records need further information to guide staff. These were immediately addressed at the time of the inspection.

The service had 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.

Relatives and external professionals said the service was well-run. They praised the values and ethos of the management and staff team. The service aimed to provide high quality, person-centred support for people to live fulfilled lives.

There were some areas of governance that needed to be developed. This related to clearer record keeping. We have made a recommendation about improving the clarity and detail in records.

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

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection of Croft House and Cottages since it was registered on 14 May 2018.

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the registration date.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.