Background to this inspection
Updated
7 July 2021
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The Inspection was carried out by one Inspector with the support of an Expert by Experience.
An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
Otterbourne House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager and the regional manager. We requested a range of records to be sent to us. This included two people’s care records including incident and accident records relating to behaviours that challenged others. Recruitment records, staff supervision and training documents including their induction. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. Feedback was provided to us by six relatives and six staff members. Seven external healthcare professionals did not reply to our feedback request; therefore, we could not take their views into account when making our judgements.
After the inspection
We reviewed the records we requested during our visit and analysed the feedback provided to us.
Updated
7 July 2021
About the service
Otterbourne House is a care home which caters for up to nine people who may be living with autism, a learning disability, a personality disorder, bipolar or schizophrenia.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and safeguarded them from the possibility of abuse.
Safe arrangements were in place for the management of medicines.
Effective procedures were in place to reduce the possibility of infections
People’s care needs were appropriately risk assessed and staff were trained to keep people safe during times when behaviours became challenging.
Staff and relatives were complimentary about the leadership within the home and told us they were provided with opportunities to provide feedback.
The provider had effective governance systems in place to drive improvement.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.
Right support:
• We were assured the model of care and setting maximised people’s choice, control and
Independence.
Right care:
• We were assured care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights.
Right culture:
• We were assured the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.
We previously carried out an Infection prevention and control inspection on 18 December 2020 and were assured their procedures were safe.
Why we inspected
We received concerns that people were being placed at risk due to inappropriate behaviour by staff. We were advised people were being discriminated against because of their individual characteristics. We found no evidence to suggest the allegations made to us were accurate and could not substantiate the claims. Following the last inspection the provider submitting an action plan and that we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of the regulations.
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 24 October 2018). The service has now progressed to a good rating.