Background to this inspection
Updated
12 August 2015
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.
We visited the service on 22 July 2015. The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.
Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, including safeguarding alerts and statutory notifications which related to the service. Statutory notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We also spoke with one external healthcare professional associated with the service to obtain their views about it.
During our inspection we observed how staff supported and interacted with people who use the service. We also spoke with two people who lived in the service, one relative, one senior support worker, two support workers, the registered manager and the service manager. We looked at all three people’s care records, four staff records, medicines charts, staffing rotas and records which related to how the service monitored staffing levels and the quality of the service. We also looked at information which related to the management of the service such as health and safety records, quality monitoring audits, the training matrix and records of complaints
Updated
12 August 2015
This unannounced inspection took place on 22 July 2015. Our previous inspection of 25 February 2015 found that the provider had followed their plans in relation to addressing the breach of regulation relating to inadequate staffing, that was found following the previous inspection of 15 April 2014.
53 Myddleton Road is a five bed care home for people with learning disabilities. On the day of our visit there were three people living in the home.
People told us they were very happy with the care and support they received. The staff we spoke with demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s care needs, significant people and events in their lives, and their daily routines and preferences. They also understood the provider’s safeguarding procedures and could explain how they would protect people if they had any concerns.
Staff told us they enjoyed working in the home and spoke positively about the culture and management of the service. Staff told us that they were encouraged to openly discuss any issues. Staff said they enjoyed their jobs and described management as supportive. Staff confirmed they were able to raise issues and make suggestions about the way the service was provided. Staff received regular supervision and training relevant to their role.
The registered manager had been in place since November 2014. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
The registered manager provided good leadership and people using the service, their relatives and professionals told us they promoted high standards of care.
The service was safe and there were appropriate safeguards in place to help protect the people who lived there. People were able to make choices about the way in which they were cared for and staff listened to them and knew their needs well. Staff had the training and support they needed. Relatives of people living at the home and other professionals were happy with the service. There was evidence that staff and managers at the home had been involved in reviewing and monitoring the quality of the service to make sure it improved.
Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs. Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the home. People’s medicines were managed appropriately so they received them safely.
The service was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Appropriate mental capacity assessments and best interests decisions had been undertaken by relevant professionals. This ensured that the decision was taken in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, DoLS and associated Codes of Practice.
People had participated in a range of different social activities individually and as a group and were supported to access the local community.
People were provided with a choice of food, and were supported to eat when this was needed, the registered manager acknowledged that there could be some improvements made to food provision and menu planning.
The registered manager had systems for monitoring the quality of the service and engaged with people and their relatives to address any concerns. When people made complaints they were addressed appropriately.