Archived: Mencap Flat 4 Aston Lodge Domiciliary Care Agency

Updated 28 October 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 20 and 23 September 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before our inspection we looked at the previous inspection records, we also reviewed other information we held about the service including statutory notifications that had been submitted. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. A provider information return (PIR had not been submitted to CQC)

During the inspection we spoke with the manager, three people who used the service, and four care staff. We also requested feedback from commissioners of the service from the local commissioners. We used SOFI our short observational framework for inspections to help us assess the standards of care people received for those people who were unable to give us feedback.

We observed care and support being provided throughout our inspection. We also reviewed care records for three people who used the service and three staff recruitment files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 28 October 2016

This inspection took place on the 20 and 23 September 2016 and was unannounced. This inspection was brought forward in response to concerning information received at the Care Quality Commission. The concerns suggested that people were not receiving appropriate care. There were concerns about how medicines were being managed and about people dignity. We last inspected the service on the 12 January 2016 and found that they were meeting the required standards at that time. At this inspection we found the service was continuing to meet these standards.

Mencap Flat 4 Aston Lodge Domiciliary Care Agency provides personal care to people in their own homes. In addition to the care provided at 4 Aston Lodge, care is also provided at two other local addresses Grove house and Winstre road. This inspection focused on concerns relating to 4 Aston Lodge. At the time of our inspection 9 people were receiving care at Grove and 3 people at Winstre road.

The home did not have a registered manager in post due to the departure of the registered manager four weeks before our inspection. However a new manager was in the process of registering with CQC. The outgoing registered manager had not yet deregistered with CQC. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff available at all times to meet people’s individual care and support needs. Safe and effective recruitment practices were followed to help ensure staff employed were suited to work in a care environment. Staff received training in how to protect people from abuse. Information from accidents and incidents was recorded and helped staff to reduce identified risks and help keep people safe. People received medicines by staff who had been trained and had their competency checked. There had been a number of medicines errors which had been identified and appropriate remedial action was taken to reduce the risk of a reoccurrence.

People were positive about the skills, experience and abilities of staff who worked at the home. Staff received induction and on-going training and refresher updates relevant to their roles as well as some specialist training relevant to the people they supported. Staff were well supported both through team meetings and one to one meetings with their line managers. People had regular access to a range health and social care professionals when necessary and were supported to eat a healthy balanced diet that met their individual requirements and choices.

We saw that staff obtained people’s consent and agreement before supporting them. We saw that staff were kind and caring in the way they treated people and were mindful of people’s dignity as well as preserving their privacy. We saw that staff had developed positive and caring relationships with the people they cared for. People could access advocacy services where appropriate which provided people with independent advice. People and their relatives were involved in the development and review of care when possible. People's information was securely maintained throughout the home.

People received personalised care and support that was responsive to their individual needs and took account of their preferences. Staff knew the people they looked after well and were knowledgeable about their background histories, preferences, routines and personal circumstances. People were supported to be involved and engaged with a range of activities and to pursue hobbies that were of interest to them.

Complaints, compliments and concerns were recorded and investigated thoroughly by the manager and these were used to support improvements and drive continual improvements.

People and staff were positive and complimentary about the management of the service and about how the home was run. There were systems and processes in place to monitor the quality of services provided. Where risks were identified appropriate actions were put in place to reduce and manage these effectively. Staff felt valued and enjoyed working at Grove House.