Plean Dene is a care home run by the local authority, which provides accommodation for up to 13 people who have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were nine people living in the home. The inspection was unannounced and was carried out on 09 and 11 February 2016.
There was a registered manager in place at the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the home. 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 home is run.
The families of people living at the home told us they felt their relatives were safe. Staff and the registered manager had received safeguarding training and were able to demonstrate an understanding of the provider’s safeguarding policy and explain the action they would take if they identified any concerns.
The risks relating to people’s health and welfare were assessed and these were recorded along with actions identified to reduce those risks in the least restrictive way. They were personalised and provided enough information to allow staff to protect people whilst promoting their independence.
People were supported by staff who had received the appropriate training, professional development and supervision to enable them to meet people’s individual needs. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and to enable them to engage with people in a relaxed and unhurried manner.
There were suitable systems in place to ensure the safe storage and administration of medicines. Medicines were administered by staff who had received appropriate training. Healthcare professionals such as GPs, chiropodists, opticians and dentists were involved in people’s care when necessary.
Staff followed legislation designed to protect people’s rights and ensure decisions were the least restrictive and made in their best interests.
Staff developed caring and positive relationships with people and were sensitive to their individual choices and treated them with dignity and respect. People were encouraged to maintain their family relationships.
People were supported to have enough to eat and drink. Mealtimes were a social event and staff supported people in a patient and friendly manner.
People who were not able to communicate verbally showed that they understood and they made their wishes known to staff. Staff were responsive to people’s communication styles and gave people information and choices in ways that they could understand. They were patient when speaking with people, who used a variety of signs, noises and body language to express themselves. Staff were able to understand people and respond to what was being said.
People’s families were involved in discussions about their care planning, which reflected their assessed needs. Each person had an allocated keyworker, who provided a focal point for that person and maintained contact with the important people in their lives.
There was an opportunity for families to become involved in developing the service and were encouraged to provide feedback on the service provided. They were also supported to raise complaints should they wish to.
People’s families told us they felt the home was well-led and were positive about the registered manager who understood the responsibilities of their role. Staff were aware of the provider’s vision and values, how they related to their work and spoke positively about the culture and management of the home.
There were systems in place to monitor quality and safety of the home provided. Accidents and incidents were monitored, analysed and remedial actions identified to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.