Archived: Cromwell House Residential Care Home

Updated 23 February 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This unannounced inspection took place on 19 and 22 January 2018

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed the information we held about the service and notifications we had received. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

We spoke to one person receiving a service and four members of staff, which included the deputy manager. We also spent time in communal areas observing the interactions between people and staff.

We reviewed one person’s care file, two staff files, staff training records and a selection of policies, procedures and records relating to the management of the service. After our visit we sought feedback from relatives and health and social care professionals to obtain their views of the service provided to people. We received feedback from one relative and one professional.

Updated 23 February 2018

This unannounced comprehensive inspection took place on 19 and 22 January 2018. At our last inspection in September 2016 we found a breach of regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. ‘Fit and proper persons employed’. This was because we found that the service was unable to provide a hard copy of a staff member’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This inspection found improvements had been made and the provider was now meeting regulations.

Following the last inspection in September 2016, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key question of ‘safe’ to at least good.

Cromwell House provides care for one individual with a learning disability in one adapted building. Cromwell House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

There was a registered manager in post. At the time of our inspection the registered manager, who was also the provider was in the process of ‘stepping back’ from the day to day running of Cromwell House. Their deputy manager was in the process of registering as manager. 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.

There were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place. A member of staff had been employed since our last inspection and the recruitment process had been robust. Staffing arrangements were flexible in order to meet people’s individual needs. Staff received a range of training and regular support to keep their skills up to date in order to support people appropriately. Staff spoke positively about communication between staff at the service.

People were safe. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of what constituted abuse and how to report if concerns were raised. Measures to manage risk were as least restrictive as possible to protect people’s freedom. People’s rights were protected because the service followed the appropriate legal processes. Medicines were safely managed on people’s behalf. Staff ensured infection control procedures were in place. People’s individual needs were met by the adaptation, design and decoration of the premises.

Care files were personalised to reflect people’s personal preferences. The service adopted informal methods when seeking people's views. This was through regular family contact, via phone calls and visits. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet, which they enjoyed. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.

Staff relationships with people were caring and supportive. Staff were motivated and inspired to offer care that was kind and compassionate. The organisation’s visions and values centred around the people they supported, which ensured their equality, diversity and human rights were respected.

A number of effective methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received and make continuous improvements.