We carried out an unannounced inspection of this home on 9 May 2016 and found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. After this inspection we made requirements with respect to the breaches in Regulations 12 and 17. Following the inspection the provider sent us an action plan stating they would be compliant by September 2016. We undertook this unannounced comprehensive inspection on the 28 June 2017 to check the registered provider had met all the legal requirements. We found they had taken steps to address all of the breaches in the Regulations which we had identified in our previous inspection.
Park View is a care home that does not provide nursing. It provides support for up to 10 people, with learning disabilities and behaviour which challenges. Crescent Road where the home is situated is a quiet residential road near the sea front. On the day of the inspection there were six people living at the home and a seventh moved in during the inspection.
There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.
During the inspection people told us, or indicated, that they enjoyed living at the home, and staff we spoke with and observed understood people's needs and preferences well. Staff were able to describe to us how people needed to be supported to ensure they were cared for safely, and the rationale behind this.
People were not always safe. Staff understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. There were enough staff to safely provide care and support to people. However fire safety equipment had been highlighted for several months as an issue and had not been repaired.
At our last inspection we found a failure to ensure that equipment used by the provider was safe to use; failure to control the risks associated with prevention of the spread of infection by not keeping clean and monitoring PEG areas, suction machines and masks and spacers for inhalers. At this inspection we found that records contained information associated with the safe use of equipment to help support people with their care, food and nutrition.
Care records contained risk assessments to protect people from identified risks and help to keep them safe. These gave information for staff on the identified risk and guidance on reduction measures. There were also risk assessments for the building and contingency plans were in place to help keep people safe in the event of an unforeseen emergency such as fire or flood.
Thorough recruitment checks were carried out to check staff were suitable to work with people. Staffing levels were maintained at a level to meet people’s needs.
At our last inspection we found that people’s medicines were not managed safely. At this inspection we found changes had been made and staff had undertaken medicines training to ensure their understanding. People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed by their GP. Records showed that medicines were obtained, stored, administered and disposed of safely.
We saw that people had choice and control over their lives and that staff responded to them expressing choice in a positive and supportive manner.
The service was effective. Arrangements were made for people to see their GP and other healthcare professionals when required. People’s healthcare needs were met and staff worked with health and social care professionals to access relevant services. The service was compliant with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).
People received a service that was caring. They were cared for and supported by staff who knew them extremely well. Staff treated people with dignity and respect. People’s views were actively sought and they were involved in making decisions about their care and support. Information was provided in ways that was easy to understand. People were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends.
The service was responsive to people’s needs. People received person centred care and support. People were encouraged to participate in employment and leisure activities. People were encouraged to make their views known and the service responded by making changes. Transitions for people moving from the service were well planned. Staff had worked to ensure people had access to healthcare services.
At the last inspection we found that systems were not effective in monitoring the care provided at the service. At this inspection we found that although the quality audits by the provider had not been carried out as regularly as the provider would have liked there had been an improvement as the manager had carried out their regular monitoring. However this monitoring had not highlighted the issues with fire safety equipment.
People benefitted from a service that was well led. The registered manager had an open, honest and transparent management style. The manager and provider had systems in place to check on the quality of service people received however they had not ensured shortfalls identified in fire safety were acted upon.
We found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.