Yarra Respite

Updated 10 January 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Yarra services respite is a ‘care home’ which provides respite care. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

As this is a respite service we contacted the provider on the day of the inspection to announce our visit. As no one was using the service at that time, we started the inspection at the provider’s office located at the day service. We then arranged to visit the location when the respite service was in use.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service from the local authority and the provider’s registration application. We also took into account the provider’s last inspection report, prior to changing their legal entity. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us 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 inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We reviewed a range of records held at the provider’s office and the respite service. This included three people’s care records, medicine and communication systems, and daily journals. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, fire and maintenance records, minutes of staff meetings and feedback surveys were reviewed.

We met the person using the respite service and spoke with the registered manager, who is also a director, the second director and co-owner (which we refer to as provider in this report) and six members of staff. This included team leader, senior support worker, CQC compliance officer, and support workers.

After the inspection

As only one person was using the service at the time of our inspection, we contacted four people’s parents, referred to as family carers in this report, who shared their views of the service.

Updated 10 January 2020

About the service

Yarra Service respite is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care up to two people aged 18 to 65 years. The service provides short break care, normally overnight and weekend care, only for people with learning disabilities who attend Yarra Care Farm or Day Care services. The three-bedroom house is domestic in nature, and due to the layout, is not being suitable for people with limited mobility.

The service has 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. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Family carers were complimentary about the service and told us they would not hesitate to recommend it to others. One family carer said their family member had, “Never been cared for like that anywhere else.”

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People were supported to keep safe and protected from the risk of abuse. One family carer told us they felt, “Happy and confident,” when they were staying on respite, “I don’t worry at all.” Family carers also told us there were enough staff to meet people’s individual needs. Staff supported people to take their medicines as prescribed and keep their environment clean.

A family carer rated staff skills as, “100 percent,” and felt confident in their abilities. Staff received training and support to carry out their role effectively. This included supporting people to choose, shop and join in with the preparation of their meals and snacks.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

People received kind and compassionate care. One family carer told us all the staff were, “Very caring, always a friendly face every time,” they visited. People’s independence was promoted by staff, who supported people to learn new skills and make decisions about all aspects of their respite stay. Staff treated people with respect, building up positive relationships, with them and their family carers.

Everyone we spoke with were complimentary about the registered manager and provider, and the values which underpinned the service. One staff member told us the provider does, “An amazing job, …they go beyond with their support.” The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service people received; using feedback to continually develop and improve the service.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 2 March 2016). Since this rating was awarded the provider has altered its legal entity. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on our timescale since the service was registered with the CQC.

Follow up

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