Archived: Walsingham Support - 45a Hampton Road

Walsingham Support – 45a Hampton Road is a residential care home providing personal care for up to five people. The service provides support to older people, younger people and those with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were four people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

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.

Based on our review of safe and well-led:

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

People received their medicines at the right times. We identified the provider needed to amend their medicines administration practice, which the manager took action to remedy in a timely manner. Recruitment was ongoing to ensure that additional staff were brought in to work at the home and that there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were appropriately recruited. Risk assessments were clear in guiding staff as to how they needed to support people safely. Staff were able to recognise signs of abuse and knew how to report any concerns. Incidents and accidents were appropriately recorded and investigated.

Relatives and staff found the manager to be approachable and supportive. The manager understood their regulatory responsibility and how to comply with the duty of candour. Quality assurance audits were effective in identifying areas for improvement. People, relative and staff views were sought.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 16 March 2019)

Why we inspected

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively. This included checking the provider was meeting COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

We received concerns in relation to safeguarding and infection control processes. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Walsingham Support – 45a Hampton Road on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

About the service:

Walsingham Support 45a Hampton Road is a small residential home that was providing personal care and accommodation to up to five people. People living at the service have a range of complex needs including learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection five people were using the service. The service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the CQC Registering the Right Support policy 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.

People’s experience of using this service:

¿ People were protected against the risk of abuse because staff received on-going safeguarding training which enabled them to identify, respond to and escalate suspected abuse.

¿ Comprehensive risk management plans were developed and gave staff clear guidance to mitigate known risks. Risk management plans were reviewed regularly to ensure they reflected people’s needs.

¿ Incidents and accidents were managed in such a way to identify trends and patterns and ensure lessons were learnt to minimise repeat incidents.

¿ People’s medicines were managed in-line with good practice. Medicines were stored safely, recorded and disposed of appropriately. Medicines audits were carried out regularly to ensure errors and issues identified were acted on in a timely manner.

¿ Sufficient numbers of suitably vetted and qualified staff were deployed to keep people safe. Records confirmed all staff underwent a robust pre-employment check.

¿ The provider had developed a comprehensive infection control policy that minimised the risk of people being exposed to cross contamination.

¿ People received care and support from staff that underwent regularly training to enhance their skills and knowledge.

¿ People were supported to access sufficient amounts of food and drink that met their dietary needs and preferences.

¿People’s dependency levels were regularly assessed to ensure the support provided enhanced their independence.

¿ People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

¿ People received care and support from staff that treated them with compassion and kindness.

¿ People and their relatives were encouraged and supported to engage in their care. Care plans were person-centred and detailed people’s health, medical and support needs.

¿ People were encouraged to participate in community based activities to enhance their social skills and experiences.

¿ People confirmed they knew how to raise a complaint. The provider had developed pictorial complaints procedures. No complaints had been received in the last 12 months.

¿ No one living at the home required support with end of life care, however there were procedures in place to make sure people had access to this type of care if it was required.

¿ The provider ensured the service was regularly assessed through internal auditing systems.

¿ People were supported to share their views.

¿ The acting manager actively sought and encouraged partnership working to drive improvements. Guidance and support provided was then implemented into the delivery of care.

¿ People confirmed they enjoyed living at the service and their relatives and staff found the acting manager approachable and supportive.

Rating at last inspection: The service has not previously been inspected as they were registered on 9 April 2018. This is their first comprehensive inspection.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection in line with our inspection programme.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit in line with our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect the service sooner.