Archived: King Edwards House

Updated 31 August 2016

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 inspection took place on 16 and 17 June 2016 and was unannounced. One inspector carried out the inspection. We spoke with one person using the service, the acting manager, the deputy manager and three members of staff. In addition we reviewed records for four people using the service, toured the premises and checked records relating to the management of the service.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we have about the service including notifications. A notification is a report about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We also spoke with the local authority quality team.

Updated 31 August 2016

The overall rating for this service is ‘Inadequate’ and the service is therefore in ‘special measures’. Services in special measures will be kept under review and, if we have not taken immediate action to propose to cancel the provider’s registration of the service, will be inspected again within six months.

The inspection took place on the 16 and 17 June 2016. The home was last inspected on 14 and 15 January 2016 where we found breaches of regulations and issued a warning notice. Prior to this the home was inspected on 13 May 2015 to check if breaches of regulations had been met which had been found at an inspection in December 2014.

King Edwards House provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people with learning difficulties and mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were four people living at the home.

King Edwards House did not have 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.

Although staff had the knowledge to protect people from abuse there had been a failure to report incidents of physical abuse between two people using the service, these had not been investigated. In addition we had not been notified about these incidents and another incident where the police had been called.

The environment of the home had not been maintained in a safe manner.

Sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced persons were not always deployed.

One person’s rights had not been protected, they had not had an authorisation made to deprive them of their liberty under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

Despite regular checks on the service provided these had not resulted in improvements to areas identified for action such as guidelines for giving people their medicines and maintenance of equipment and the garden.

People were treated with respect and kindness, their privacy and dignity was respected. They were supported to maintain their independence and keep in contact with relatives. People were enabled to be involved in activities such as trips out of the home when staffing levels allowed.

We found breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.