Archived: Barron Winnicott Home

Updated 15 November 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

One inspector, one internal specialist advisor for Deaf people who is a British Sign Language (BSL) user and a member of the medicine team carried out the inspection. An interpreter in BSL accompanied the team on the first day of inspection. An Expert by Experience made phone calls to relatives. 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

Barron Winnicott Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Barron Winnicott Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. However, they were not present at the inspection. A follow up video call was arranged with them on their return.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 1 June 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people using BSL and to capture the experience of other people we used a range of observations and informal interactions. We spoke with six staff including a representative of the provider, the deputy manager and care staff. Five relatives were spoken on the telephone about their experiences of the care provider.

We reviewed a range records including five people’s care records and a range of medication records. We looked at one staff file in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service including policies and health and safety.

Updated 15 November 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Barron Winnicott Home is a residential care home providing personal care without nursing for up to nine people. At the time of the inspection seven people were living at the home. All people at the home were Deaf and/or deafblind. They also have a range of complex needs including mental health, dementia, learning disabilities and/or autism.

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

Right Support:

People were supported by staff who knew them well and had assessed individual risks. However, improvements were required around fire safety and unauthorised people’s entry to the home. The management were proactive at ensuring people received support from enough staff to keep them safe.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were encouraged towards independence as much as they could be.

Right Care:

People’s care was centred around their individual needs and wishes. Their dignity and privacy were protected except for the storage of their records. Activities were personalised and people were seen to be supported to be as independent as possible.

Staff were clear about protecting people’s human rights and when this was compromised worked with other health and social care specialists.

Right Culture:

People were supported by a management who led by example and created a positive culture at the home. Managers were regularly working in the home on shift. The provider led a culture of learning.

Further work around embedding the Deaf culture and community could be explored as relatives explained it was limited to the site and in the past.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 30 June 2021 and this is the first inspection under this provider. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 20 March 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well led key questions. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

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 fire safety and access to unauthorised people at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

We have also made a recommendation around staff recruitment.

Follow up

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