Background to this inspection
Updated
4 June 2024
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.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of 2 inspectors.
Service and service type
Ringstead House 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. Ringstead House 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 not a registered manager in post. The previous registered manager had left the service on 14 October 2023. A new manager had been appointed and had submitted an application to register. We are currently assessing this application.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
We visited the service on 31 October 2023 and 8 November 2023.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
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 all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 1 person who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 2 care workers, the quality assurance manager, the home manager, the team leader and the managing director of the home.
We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s care and medicines records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, complaints and building audits.
Updated
4 June 2024
About the service
Ringstead House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 4 people in 1 adapted building. The service provides support to younger adults and adults with learning disabilities and autism. At the time of our inspection there were 3 people using the service.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support:
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 supported in a safe, clean and well-furnished environment.
Right Care: People’s equality and diversity was promoted. Care workers understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care. People received kind and compassionate care, and their privacy and dignity were respected.
Right Culture: People were supported by care workers who understood best practice in relation to the strengths, impairments and sensitives of people with learning disabilities. Staff turnover was low, which supported people to receive consistent care from care workers who knew them well. People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
We found people did not have Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) in place. This was discussed on site and with the management team. We received information to support the previous registered manager had made DoLS applications to the local authority in May 2023.
The provider had a range of policies and procedures in place which ensured people’s care, treatment and support promoted a good quality of life based on the best available evidence.
The provider ensured care workers had appropriate training and experience to keep people safe from abuse and avoidable harm. People were treated with dignity and respect and were treated with compassion and kindness.
The relatives we spoke to told us they thought that their family members were well cared for, and the home was well managed. A relative told us, "[Family member] has been there for a long time and they are better, their diet is good and they socialise a lot. [Family member] is happy."
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection.
The last rating for this service was good (published 07 February 2018).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted by a review of information we held about the service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.