Archived: The Larkins

The Larkins is a residential care home registered to provide accommodation and personal care to six younger people who have a learning disability. On the day of the inspection five people were living at the home.

The Larkins consists of eight single occupancy bedrooms, of which four had an ensuite. The two-storey property consisted of a lounge/dining area, kitchen, a shower room, laundry and a conservatory. Access to the first floor was via stairs. People had access to a garden at the rear of the property.

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

The provider’s quality assurance system was ineffective to take action where risks in relation to water temperatures had been identified. We found the provider had not displayed their latest inspection rating in the home.

The manager was in the process of registering as an individual to take over the registration as provider. We found that not all the people who used the service were aware of who was running the home. People and staff had the opportunity to have a say how the home was run. The manager engaged with other professionals to ensure people received a service specific to their needs. The culture of the home was warm and welcoming.

People told us they felt safe living in the home and staff knew how to safeguard them from the risk of potential abuse. People told us there was always enough staff on duty to assist them when needed. People were supported by staff to keep their home clean and tidy. Lessons were learnt when things went wrong to avoid a reoccurrence. People’s prescribed medicines were managed safely and were administered in accordance to the prescriber’s instructions.

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.

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.

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 (14 February 2019)

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management of the service and the safety and welfare of people who lived at the home. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the Key Questions of Safe and Well-Led only.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for The Larkins on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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

What life is like for people using this service:

People said they enjoyed living at The Larkins. People felt safe and were cared for in a kind and compassionate way.

Staff were suitably trained to meet the individual needs of people.

Care records were current and relevant and gave staff guidance on how best to care and support people. People’s risks were managed well and people received their medications as prescribed.

The provider and the acting manager of the home were visible and approachable and had a good rapport with people, their relatives and with staff.

More information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection: Good (8 April 2016)

About the service:

The Larkins provides accommodation and personal care for up to six adults who may have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were five people using the service.

Why we inspected:

This was planned inspection based on the date and the rating of the previous inspection. The rating continues to be Good overall.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through information we receive.

The Larkins provided accommodation and personal care for up to five people with a learning disability. Five people were using the service at the time of the inspection.

The service did not require a registered manager as the registered provider is a single provider who has day to day charge of the home. We were supported throughout the inspection by the acting manager and registered provider. 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.

People were protected from abuse as staff knew what constituted abuse and who to report it to if they suspected it had taken place.

There were sufficient staff to keep people safe and to support people to follow their hobbies and interests.

Risks to people were minimised to encourage and promote people's independence. Staff were clear how to support people to maintain their safety when they put themselves and others at risk.

People's medicines were stored, administered and managed safely.

Staff were supported to fulfil their role effectively. There was a regular programme of applicable training and regular staff supervision.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) is designed to protect people who cannot make decisions for themselves or lack the mental capacity to do so. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the MCA. They aim to make sure that people in care homes, hospitals and supported living are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. The provider followed the principles of the MCA by ensuring that people consented to their care or were supported by representatives to make decisions.

People's nutritional needs were met based on their individual preferences. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

People were supported to access a range of health care services. When people became unwell staff responded and sought the appropriate support.

People felt cared for and we observed that staff were kind and caring in their manner. People's privacy was respected and everyone had their own bedroom and facilities.

Care was personalised and met people's individual needs and preferences. People were fully involved in decisions about their care.

The provider had a complaints procedure and people knew how to use it.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. When improvements were required these were made in a timely manner.

We looked at the care records of three people who used the service. We saw that the provider had not notified us of events that had affected the welfare, health or safety of people who used the service.

At our previous inspection we saw that people were not protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records were not maintained. At this inspection we saw that there had been no improvement to the way in which records were maintained. At our previous inspection we saw that records could not be located promptly. At this inspection we saw that systems had been put in place to enable staff to have prompt access to all records.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and were cared for in a warm and friendly manner. This was because staff had received appropriate training and support to look after people. People living at the home told us how much they enjoyed the food and we saw that people received adequate nutrition and hydration.

The provider did not have appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines. Documentation was not always completed accurately and medication was not always stored safely and appropriately. The provider had an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people using the service but had not informed us of safeguarding incidents that had occurred in the home.