Archived: Richmond House

Updated 30 December 2017

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 was a comprehensive inspection. This inspection took place on 27 and 28 November 2017 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the location was a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day. We needed to be sure they would be in.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector and an Expert by Experience, on the first day and an adult social care inspector on the second day. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert by experience for this inspection was a family carer of a person with a learning disability. Their area of expertise was in relation to learning disability.

We reviewed information we held about the service, such as notifications, information from the local authority and from Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion which gathers information about people’s experiences of using health and social care in England.

The registered provider had been asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with three people who used the service and two people’s relatives. We also spoke with two members of care staff, the home managers of Richmond House and another of the provider’s homes and the registered manager.

We looked at a variety of documentation including; care documentation for two people, two staff recruitment files, meeting minutes, documents relating to the management of medicines and quality monitoring records. We also observed care practices.

Updated 30 December 2017

Richmond House is a care home without nursing. The care provider JS Care Limited is registered to provide accommodation for up to five people living with dementia, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health, older people, sensory impairment and younger adults who require personal care.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. However, we found people did not have a personal emergency evacuation plan in place, fire drills and full evacuation practice did not take place. Medicines were not managed safely. The registered provider did not carry out safe recruitment practices. We concluded these were breaches of Regulations 12 and 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good and was no longer in breach of the regulations.

The provider has systems in place to safely manage medicines within the home. Risk assessments were in place and kept up to date. People had personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEP).

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. We made a recommendation regarding how staffing levels were monitored and recorded.

There was a robust recruitment process in place and staff received appropriate training.

People’s care and support was assessed and reviewed on a regular basis. We saw people had access to healthcare professionals.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

We made a recommendation regarding the provider's CCTV policy in relation to obtaining and reviewing people's consent.

People’s privacy, dignity and independence was respected and promoted.

The provider had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. There were audits in place for areas such as; the environment, medicines, behaviours, supervision, training and complaints. Monthly and annual audits were completed in relation to people’s weight, activities, incidents, medical appointments and PRN medication.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.