Archived: CareTech Community Services Limited - 79 Slade Road

79 Slade Road is registered to provide accommodation and support for up to four people who have a learning disability. There were three people leaving there when we inspected the service.

There was 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.’

People were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider ensured that staff had received the training they needed so that they could recognise and respond to the risk of abuse.

People were supported by staff that were kind and caring and who took the time to get to know people. People were cared for by staff that protected their privacy and dignity and respected them as individuals.

People received care and support with their consent where possible, and the staff ensured that people were supported in the least restrictive ways in order to keep them safe.

People were supported by enough staff. Staff had been safely recruited and had received adequate training so that they had the skills and knowledge to support people effectively.

People were supported to receive their medication as prescribed because the provider had systems in place.

People were supported to stay healthy and had access to health care professionals as required.

People could choose how to spend their day and they took part in activities in the home and the community. People were supported to maintain positive relationships with their relatives.

There were processes in place for responding to complaints.

The provider had systems in place to audit, assess and monitor the quality of the service provided, to ensure that people were benefitting from a service that was continually developing.

We considered our inspection findings to answer questions we always ask:-

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well-led?

Below is a summary of what we found.

Is the service safe?

People were cared for in an environment that was clean and hygienic and met their needs.

At the time of the inspection, there were no Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards procedure in place. Staff had received training, so they knew how to safeguard people at risk of abuse and we saw best interest decisions had been made to protect people from harm.

The provider had emergency procedures in place to keep people safe from harm, including adequate fire evacuation procedures and missing person's protocols and staff had signed to say they understood these. There was also quality assurance audits completed to make sure that the building was in good order and safe for people to live in.

Is the service effective?

People who were able and some of their relatives, told us that they were happy with the care that was delivered and their needs were met. It was clear from our observations and from speaking with staff that they had a good understanding of the people's care and support needs and that they knew them well, which meant that people received an effective service. Staff had received adequate training to meet the needs of the people living at the home.

We spoke some relatives and one told us, 'I have seen a great improvement since my relative moved in.' This also showed evidence of an effective service.

Is the service caring?

Our observations showed that staff were supportive and gave encouragement to people living in the home. We saw one staff member comforting a person who had become distressed and another talking quietly to a person about how they were feeling that day. One person told us, 'Staff help me to go out shopping.' Another said that staff had helped them make some streamers.

We asked two relatives if they had any concerns about the care provided by the home and they told us that were happy with the care provided.

Is the service responsive?

We could see from care records, that when a person's needs changed appropriate actions were taken to ensure that needs were met, including for example; arranging for people to see a GP. We could see that activities were organised around what people wanted to do, for example; going on holiday. This meant that the provider responded by organising staff to accompany people on their trip.

Is the service well-led?

We found a good management team in place, and all staff had a very good understanding of the ethos of the home.

A quality assurance processes was in place to ensure that the quality of the service was maintained and further improved.

Relatives told us that they were kept regularly updated by the management team. One relative said, 'I am very happy with the keyworker.'

Care was person centred and delivered in a manner that promoted people's dignity and respect. One person told us, 'I get up when I want to and I choose what I want to wear".

Care was planned and delivered to ensure people's safety and welfare. One person told us, "I like to do my own things but staff are there if I need them". This meant that people experienced care and support that met their needs and protected their rights.

Infection prevention and control procedures were in place to reduce the risk of infection. Staff that we spoke with were able to explain good infection prevention and control practices.

Staffing levels were adequate to support people according to their level of assessed need.

People were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care because accurate and appropriate records were maintained.