Corner Cottage

Updated 9 June 2021

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Corner Cottage is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. This service did not provide nursing care.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means 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

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we wanted to ensure the registered manager would be available to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about the service since they registered with us. We sought feedback from the local authority and health professionals who regularly worked with the service. We used all of 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We met and spoke with both of the people who used the service and spent some time with them. We observed and listened to how staff interacted with people. We spoke with two relatives, the registered manager and two members of staff.

We observed how people were supported and reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care plans, care delivery records and medicine administration records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service including: staffing rotas, staff recruitment, supervision and training records, premises maintenance records, quality assurance records, training and staff meeting minutes and a range of the provider's policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We obtained written feedback from four health and social care professionals who regularly liaise with the service. We considered their feedback when making our judgements in this report.

Updated 9 June 2021

About the service

Corner Cottage is a care home for up to three people diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders and learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were two people living at the home, in an adapted building in a residential area of Christchurch.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgement about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. The provider's model of care and the layout of the premises maximised people’s choice, control and independence. Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of management and care staff ensured people using the service led confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

People told us they felt safe and enjoyed living at Corner Cottage. People were relaxed and happy with staff, who knew them very well. People received a personalised service from friendly, supportive staff who treated them with patience, kindness, dignity and respect. Relatives spoke highly of the management and staff team and commented they were very happy with the service and level of care their relative received.

There were robust recruitment processes and people were supported by a consistent team of staff who knew them well. There was an ongoing process of staff recruitment and clear systems in place to monitor appropriate staffing levels to ensure people were cared for safely.

Staff spoke knowledgeably on how to identify and report abuse and were well supported in their roles. Staff received regular supervision and annual appraisals to enable them to carry out their roles competently. Staff received core and specialist training and support to assist people in ways to meet their needs.

Risks to people’s health, safety and well-being were regularly assessed, reviewed and updated. People and their families were fully included and involved in their care and support. People's views and opinions were listened to and acted upon wherever possible.

People’s healthcare needs were met, and staff supported them to see healthcare professionals when appropriate. Medicines were managed, stored and administered safely. People were supported to take their medicines safely by staff who had received the appropriate levels of training.

Communication styles and methods were tailored to individual people and staff supported people to understand the choices available to them.

People received healthy, nutritious meals which they enjoyed planning and helping to prepare. People told us they enjoyed the meals which were, “good”.

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 was well led by a registered manager and staff. There were clear quality assurance systems in place to drive improvement and ensure the home offered a safe, effective, caring and responsive service.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 23 August 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was the first planned inspection for this service since the service registered with us.

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.