Derwent House

About the service

Derwent House is a residential care home providing personal care for people who have a learning disability.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to 13 people; 12 people were being supported at the time of our inspection. People had their own bedrooms, some with en suites. There was a communal kitchen, bathroom/shower facilities and lounge/dining rooms spaces.

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

Right Support

The service gave people care and support in an environment that needed improvements to the décor and hygiene levels in some areas. However, people had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms. The staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence and they had control over their own lives. Although improvements were needed in one specific area about using public transport. Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful life. Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area. People were able to go on holiday and engage in meaningful activities. Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence and achieved the best possible health outcome. Staff supported people to play an active role in maintaining their own health and wellbeing. People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs.

Right Care

Some improvements were needed to specific training, however overall, the service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.

Right culture

Some improvements were needed to how people were referred to in their care plans to ensure language was appropriate. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. Staff turnover was very low, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well. People felt able to raise concerns and felt the management team were approachable. Staff also felt supported in their role and felt able to raise concerns if necessary.

The provider acknowledged at the beginning of the inspection that they were aware the home needed updating and significant investment.

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

This service was registered with us on 13 May 2020 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was Requires Improvement, published on 21 December 2019.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

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.

Enforcement and recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to the condition of the property, quality assurance systems and people’s consent.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.