Precinct Road in Hayes, Middlesex, is an example of where our work has helped improve an ‘Inadequate’ facility to one that illustrates what ‘Good’ care can mean.
CQC’s Simon Osborne, Inspection Manager Adult Social Care (London), said: “It is particularly pleasing to note that Precinct Road has adopted a person-centred approach to care and support.
“Staff act with utmost professionalism and management are dedicated to providing a safe, compassionate and high quality service that they continually seek to improve. It is for this and many other reasons why the service has received the second highest rating we can give.”
Background
Run by the charity, Royal Mencap Society, Precinct Road, is a service providing accommodation and personal care for up to five adults with a learning disability. When we inspected, four people were using the service. Mencap currently operate 94 care homes which are spread right across England. These are commissioned and funded by local authorities.
Mr Tim Bell, whose son, Kevin, has been a resident at Precinct Road since 1999 said: “Kevin can’t speak or converse but he is well able to understand what I say to him. One of the things I like about the Precinct Road is that they keep us fully informed about how Kevin is.
“We bring him home two weekends every month and he is never reluctant to go back to Precinct Road which is always a good sign. He is well looked after there. The place has sometimes needed a lick of paint, but it’s not what it looks like that is important but what it does in providing care.”
CQC’s last inspection took place on 22 October 2015. We gave Precinct Road short notice of our visit to make sure the manager was available to help with the inspection. At our earlier inspection in June 2015, we found breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. The overall rating for this service following our inspection in June 2015 was ‘Inadequate’. This meant that CQC placed the service into ‘special measures’. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that providers found to be providing inadequate care significantly improve – which Precinct Road has done.
At the later inspection we found the provider had taken action to address all of the breaches we identified following our inspection in June 2015, and the quality of care and support provided in the service had greatly improved.
Precinct Road had carried out work to address risks to people using the service and recorded and reported possible safeguarding concerns to the local authority and CQC. The provider did not deprive people of their liberty without authorisation. It had arranged for the redecoration of all parts of the premises and the replacement of carpets on the stairs and some communal areas. The registered manager and support staff had reviewed and updated their assessments of people’s social care needs. There was a creative and person-centred approach to the support that staff gave to people to access meaningful activities. A new manager had been appointed and they had registered with CQC.
Systems were in place to monitor the operation of the service and the registered manager and staff carried out regular checks and audits.