Levitt Mill

We found the following examples of good practice.

The registered manager was knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities relating to infection control.

There were systems in place which supported good infection control procedures. The service was visibly clean and well ventilated.

People were being supported to receive visits from their relatives . The provider was following best practice guidance in terms of ensuring visitors to the home did not introduce and spread COVID19. Information and instructions for visitors were clearly displayed and explained in person on entry to the home.

Staff and people using the service received regular COVID-19 testing and vaccinations in line with current government guidelines.

People had been supported to continue to access healthcare, this had included visits from the GP practice nurse.

Levitt Mill is registered to provide personal care and support for up to 11 people living with a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder. Levitt Mill comprises of two buildings known as, The Barn and the Mill. The service was adapted to provide en-suite bedrooms, communal lounge, dining rooms and a pleasant garden. At the time of this inspection 11 people were living at Levitt Mill.

People's experience of using this service:

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 told us they received a good service and felt safe. Accidents and incidents were recorded, and risk assessments were in place. The registered manager understood their responsibilities about safeguarding and staff had been appropriately trained. Arrangements were in place for the safe administration of medicines.

People received planned and co-ordinated person-centred care which was appropriate and inclusive for them.

There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of people. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure and carried out relevant vetting checks when they employed staff. Staff were suitably trained and received regular supervisions and appraisals.

People were supported with good nutrition and could access appropriate healthcare services. People's wellbeing was monitored and promoted.

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. People were involved in planning and reviewing their care and support.

People's needs were assessed before they started using the service. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people's independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

The registered manager and staff team supported the values of promoting choice, control, independence and inclusion. People were supported to achieve their own goals and be safe.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The provider had good oversight of the service, using their monitoring processes to make sure people received a good quality and safe service.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 23 December 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will visit the service again in the future to check if there are changes to the quality of the service.

Levitt Mill is a care home for younger people with a learning disability. It comprises of two buildings known as, The Barn and The Mill. It provides accommodation for 11 people. The service is located in Maltby near Rotherham. It is within walking distance of local shops and other community amenities.

At the time of our inspection there were 10 people living in the home. Six people lived in the Mill and four in the Barn. People we spoke with were very happy with the service and told us they felt safe living at the home.

The home has a registered 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. The registered manager had been in post since May 2016 and registered with the Care Quality commission in July 2016.

Medicines were stored safely and procedures were in place to ensure medicines were administered safely.

We found the service to be meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The staff we spoke with had a good understanding and knowledge of this and the registered manager has assessed people to determine if an application was required.

People were involved in menu planning, shopping and meal preparation. We saw people were able to choose what they wanted to eat and there was no set meal times. There was plenty of choice and snacks available. People had access to drinks as they wanted them.

Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and spoke to people with understanding and respect. People told us staff were caring and kind.

People’s needs had been identified, and from our observations and talking to people, we found people’s needs were met by staff who knew them well. Care records we saw detailed people’s needs and were regularly reviewed.

Staff were recruited safely and all staff had completed an induction. Staff had received formal supervision. Staff told us they felt supported by the new manager. Staff had previously received an annual appraisal of their work performance and the new registered manager was arranging these at the time of our inspection..

There were systems in place for monitoring quality, which were effective. The registered manager had identified the issues we found during our inspection and they were addressing these with the provider. This ensured where improvements were needed, these were addressed and followed up to ensure continuous improvement.

We carried out this visit to determine if people were supported to be able to eat and drink sufficient amounts. We found the diet provided was balanced and healthy. People we spoke with told us they enjoyed the food and were always given choices.

One person told us, 'My breakfast was marvellous, I had two eggs and toast, I chose it.'

We have carried out this visit to determine if there was enough staff to meet the needs of the people who received the service. At the time of our visit we found there was adequate staff on duty, however there was not always sufficient numbers of experienced staff. The provider rectified this during our visit.

People we spoke with told us the service was chaotic at present as there were different staff every day. They told us there were enough staff on duty, but the different faces did upset some of the people who lived at Levitt Mill.

When we talked about the food one person told us, 'If I want something different to eat I buy my own food. I like bacon and eggs so I buy these.'

We also looked at the food provided to determine if people received a healthy, balanced diet. We found people were not always supported to be able to eat and drink sufficient amounts and the diet provided was not nutritious.

We spoke with health care professionals who visited the home. They spoke positively about the service provided. However they felt when they visited staff were very busy and did not always have time to talk.

People also told us that staff treated them with respect, listened to them, gave them choices, made them feel safe and supported them. One person told us. 'I really like living here; I am learning new things and the staff help me.'

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse. However staff had not always followed the procedures.

There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place and there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. However staff told us at times it was very busy.

People's personal records were accurate and fit for purpose.

People were cared for in a clean, hygienic environment. Although we identified some redecoration was still required in bathrooms and the laundry in The Mill and some furniture still required replacing. The provider informed us this was being addressed.

We found that appropriate arrangements were in place in relation to obtaining medicine, administration and disposal.

Staff received appropriate professional development. A training programme was in place to provide staff with the training and support they needed. However staff appraisals had been due in December 2012. The manager had organised dates for staff to have an appraisal in January 2013.

There was an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received. There was a complaints policy that took account of complaints and comments to improve the service.