Archived: Edgecumbe House

Updated 14 September 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the registered 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 comprehensive inspection took place on 15 August 2018 and was unannounced. The membership of the inspection team was one adult social care inspector. At the time of our inspection there were 7 people using the service.

Prior to the inspection visit we gathered information from a number of sources. We looked at the provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at notifications sent to the Care Quality Commission by the registered manager. We also obtained the views from the service commissioners, local authority contracts officers and the safeguarding team.

We observed staff providing support to people in communal areas of the premises and interactions between people that used the service and staff. We looked around the premises, communal areas and people's bedrooms, after asking their permission to do so. We spoke with two people who used the service and contacted three relatives following our inspection for their views and feedback.

We spoke with the registered manager, a senior support worker and three support workers We also contacted and spoke with a health care professional and relatives following our inspection.

We looked at documentation relating to people who used the service and staff files, as well as the management of the service. This included people’s care records, medication records, staff recruitment, training and support files, as well as minutes of meetings, quality audits, policies and procedures.

Updated 14 September 2018

This comprehensive inspection took place on 15 August 2018 and was unannounced.

Edgecumbe House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service can accommodate up to 10 people in a converted older property.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At the last comprehensive inspection in September 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Edgecumbe House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk’

The service 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 building was subject to subsidence but was being safely maintained, the building was regularly checked and the registered provider was looking for alternative accommodation for people to be able to move. However, this meant the internal environment was not well maintained as there were many cracks and movement in rooms to the front of the building.

The service continued to protect people from the risk of harm or abuse because staff employed were trained in safeguarding adults and understood their responsibilities. The registered provider had policies and systems in place to manager safeguarding incidents and maintained records of any suspected or actual safeguarding concerns.

Risks were managed so that people avoided injury or harm. Medication systems continued to be robust to ensure people received mediation as prescribed. Staffing numbers were sufficient to meet people's needs and recruitment systems were followed to ensure staff were suitable to support people.

People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

People received a well-balanced diet to maintain their health and wellbeing.

People were treated with respect. People told us staff were kind and very caring. Staff demonstrated a good awareness of how they respected people’s preferences and ensured their privacy and dignity was maintained. We saw staff took account of people’s individual needs and preferences while supporting them.

People were able to take part in meaningful activities. Some people also received one to one support for activities in the community and had an organised holiday each year.

The service was well-led and people had the benefit of a culture and management style that were inclusive and caring. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and had access to policies and procedures to inform and guide them.

A system was in place for checking the quality of the service using audits, satisfaction surveys and meetings. People made their views known through direct discussion with the registered manager and staff or through the complaint and quality monitoring systems. People's privacy and confidentiality were maintained as records were held securely on the premises.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.