About the serviceGlasshouse College is a specialist residential college. Glasshouse college provides accommodation and personal care to people between the ages of 16 and 25 years.
People who use the service had a learning and/or behavioural difficulties. There were 19 people using this service at the time of our inspection. Additionally, two people were living in shared lives placements. This service is where people, who also had a learning and/or behavioural difficulty, were supported to live in their own homes as independently as possible through engaging in the process of Practical Skills Therapeutic Education.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Care and treatment was not always provided in a safe way. There was a lack of provider oversight which meant risks to people’s safety had not always been identified and responded to appropriately.
Systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were not always effective and placed people at risk of harm. Some of the houses people lived in were not well maintained.
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 guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. The provider had not ensured that all living environments were well maintained and fit for purpose.
People received their medicines when needed. Staff knew people's needs and felt supported by the management team. Staff understood what action to take if they suspected somebody was being harmed or abused.
Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) were followed. Consent was requested before staff delivered care and support. The needs and goals of each person was of paramount importance to the provider, registered manager and staff.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This is the first rating of this service.
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part by notification of a specific incident. Following which a person using the service died. This incident is subject to a criminal investigation. The incident occurred when it was under a previous legal entity. This inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
We initially planned a focused inspection looking at safe and well led only. However, when concerns were identified we informed the provider that we would be looking at the five key questions.
We found evidence the provider needs to make improvements to safe care and treatment and good governance. The overall rating for this service is inadequate. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and good governance. Please see the action we told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
The overall rating for this service is ‘Inadequate’ and the service is therefore in ‘special measures’. This means we will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider’s registration, we will re-inspect within 6 months to check for significant improvements.
If the provider has not made enough improvement within this timeframe. And there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall rating, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures. This will mean we will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service. This will usually lead to cancellation of their registration or to varying the conditions the registration.
For adult social care services, the maximum time for being in special measures will usually be no more than 12 months. If the service has demonstrated improvements when we inspect it. And it is no longer rated as inadequate for any of the five key questions it will no longer be in special measures.