Archived: Apple Blossom Court

Updated 6 April 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. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Prior to the inspection we asked for information from the local authority quality assurance team and we checked the website of Healthwatch Wirral for any additional information about the homes. We reviewed the information we already held about the service and any feedback we had received.

During the inspection we spoke to four people living at Apple Blossom Court. We talked with three staff on duty. We also talked with the registered manager. We observed several other people who were supported by the service, who did not want, or were unable to talk with us.

We observed support for the majority of people who lived at the home. We reviewed a range of documentation including four care plans, medication records, and records for four staff members, staff training records, policies and procedures, auditing records, health and safety records and other records relating to how the home is managed.

Before the inspection, the provider completed 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.

We asked the manager to send information regarding mental capacity actions on behalf of the people who use the service This was done promptly following the inspection.

Updated 6 April 2016

We carried out an unannounced inspection of Apple Blossom Court on 25th February 2016. Apple Blossom Court is registered to provide accommodation and support to up to 17 adults who have learning disabilities. The home is situated in a residential area of Wallasey with shops and local transport links nearby. At the time of our visit the service was providing support for 13 people.

The home required 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. There was a registered manager in post.

People who lived in the home told us they felt safe at the home and had no worries or concerns. From our observations it was clear that staff cared for the people they looked after and knew them well. No-one we spoke with had any complaints.

We found breaches related to medicines management. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

We saw that some medication records were not completed fully or properly signed for. All staff giving out medication had been medication trained.

We found that the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS) 2009 legislation had not been adhered to in the home. The manager told us of the people at the home who lacked capacity and that the appropriate number of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) applications had not been submitted to the Local Authority in relation to people’s care. We were told after the inspection that this had been rectified within the week following the inspection.

The staff in the home knew the people they were supporting and the care they needed. We observed staff to be kind and respectful and the home supported the people to access a range of activities, this promoted their independence and well-being.

Staff were recruited safely and there was t evidence that staff had received a proper induction or suitable training to do their job role effectively. The majority of staff had been supervised regularly and appraised annually.

People and staff told us that the home was well led and the staff told us that they felt well supported in their roles. We saw that the managers were a visible presence in and about the home and it was obvious that they knew the people who lived in the home extremely well and that the staff were well supported to carry out their duties

People had access to sufficient quantities of nutritious food and drink throughout the day and were given suitable menu choices at each mealtime, these options had been chosen by the people who lived at Apple Blossom Court.