College House

Updated 6 September 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 17 July 2017 and was unannounced. One adult social care inspector undertook the inspection.

In June 2017 the registered manager completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at the information in the PIR and also looked at other information we held about the home before the inspection visit. Prior to and following the inspection, we contacted the local authority and spoke with the learning disability support team to gain their views about the quality of the service.

During the inspection we met with all 10 people who lived at the home and spoke with five people in detail. We also spoke with three members of staff, including the deputy manager. We looked around the premises and observed how people and staff interacted throughout the day. We looked at records which related to two people's individual care, how the home managed people’s medicines as well as records related to the running of the home. The registered manager was not available at the time of the inspection, however we spoke with them afterwards.

Updated 6 September 2017

College House is a large bungalow that provides care and support for people with learning disabilities. It is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 12 people who have a learning disability. There were 10 people living at the service at the time of our inspection.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The inspection took place on 17 July 2017 and was unannounced. One social care inspector undertook the inspection. The home was previously inspected on 2 June 2015 and was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good:

People told us they felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. One person said "Yes, I am" when asked if they felt safe living at College House, another said, “Yes, they [the staff] are nice.” There were enough staff on duty to meet people's care needs and support them with activities both in and out of the home. Records showed, and people told us they were supported to take part in a variety of activities and trips out. Risks to people’s health, safety and welfare were identified and managed well. People received their medicines safely.

People received effective care and support from staff who were well trained and competent. Staff monitored people's health and made sure they were seen by appropriate healthcare professionals to meet their specific needs. People were happy with the food served in the home and we saw people helping to prepare the lunchtime meal.

Staff were very caring and had many worked at the home for many years. Staff and people knew each other well and we saw kind and friendly interactions between them. People were supported to make choices about how they wished to be cared for and staff supported their independence. People's privacy was respected.

Staff provided care and support which was responsive to people's individual needs. Each person had a care plan that described their needs, however we found one person’s plan did not reflect all of the information provided to us by staff. Following the inspection, the registered manager confirmed this had been updated.

The service was well-led by the registered manager and management team who were open and approachable. People told us they were comfortable talking to the staff or registered manager if they had a concern or wished to make a complaint.

Equipment used to support people with their care had been serviced regularly to ensure it remained in safe working order. Electric and gas installations and fire safety systems were also regularly checked and serviced.