Archived: Barnsbury Road

8 and 10 Barnsbury Road are adjoining semi detached properties which are registered as one service to provide accommodation and personal care. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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 service is located in a residential area of Walton, Liverpool, close to shops, leisure facilities and public transport links.

At the time of our inspection three people were living in the home.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Risk assessments were detailed and specific, and contained a good descriptive account for staff to follow to enable them to minimise the risk of harm occurring to people who lived at the home. We saw there were detailed protocols in place around people for when their behaviour escalated and placed them in harm’s way.

There was enough staff employed by the service to help people with their day to day support needs, such as accessing the community or support with their personal care. There were systems and processes in place to ensure that people who lived at the home were safeguarded from abuse. This included training for staff which highlighted the different types of abuse and how to raise concerns within the infrastructure of the organisation. Staff we spoke with confirmed they knew how to raise concerns.

There was a process for analysing incidents, accidents and general near misses to determine what could be improved within the service provision. There was personal protective equipment (PPE) available within the home, such as gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser. Medication was well managed and only administered by staff who had the correct training to enable them to do this. Medication was stored securely within the home.

The service was operating in accordance with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and consent was sought and recorded appropriately.. People’s mental health needs were assessed appropriately, and people were treated with equality and diversity which was evidenced in the outcomes of their support. Appropriate referrals were made when people were required to be deprived of their liberty.

Staff had the correct training to enable them to support people safely. Staff engaged in regular supervision with their line managers, and had annual appraisals. Consent was also sought and clearly documented in line with legislation and guidance.

Menus were varied, people told us they had input into the menus. There was access to other medical professionals who often visited the home and were involved with people, and regular meetings with external healthcare professionals took place when needed.

People were treated as individuals, and their choices and preferences were respected by staff. This was evident throughout our observations around the home, and the information recorded in people’s support plans. Staff also described how the ensured they protected people’s dignity when providing personal care. Staff spoke with people and about them with warmth and sensitivity.

There was a complaints process in place which we were able to view as part of our inspection. There were no on-going complaints and there had been no complaints since our last inspection.

Staff undertook training to enable them to respectfully care for someone who was at the end of their life, however most people who lived at Barnsbury Road were younger adults. The registered manager informed us that if someone's health did decline their wishes would be respected and provisions would be made to support them.

People’s support plans were person centred and contained a high level of detail about the person, their likes, dislikes, how they want to be supported and what successful support looks like for them, as well as their cultural beliefs.

The vision of the organisation was person centred and the staff we spoke with told us they liked working for the company. Quality assurance systems were robust and sampled a wide range of service provision. We saw that were issues had been identified they had been subject to an action plan which was reviewed regularly and updated with the latest action points. The service worked in partnership with other professionals such as the Local Authorities, GPs, and the police.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

People received the right help and support with eating and drinking and they had been offered regular meals and drinks. Records showed people had received a balanced and nutritious diet appropriate to their needs and preferences.

People's medication was stored safely and it was administered to them on time by staff who had received appropriate training.

We found that there were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service that people received and that it included obtaining people's views and opinions about the service and the way it was run.

Records held at the home were up to date and accurate and they were stored in accordance to current legislation. Staff had a good understanding about what was required of them in relation to managing people's records and they respected people's confidentiality.