Ringstead House

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.

Ringstead House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service provides care for up to four people and there were four people using the service when we visited.

The service had a registered manager, which 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.

Risk assessments and care plans contained a good level of information for care staff about known risks and guidance for how they were expected to mitigate these.

Staff followed safe practices for administering, storing and recording medicines given to people.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s life histories and current circumstances and supported people to meet their individual needs. People were supported to access activities they enjoyed. Care records included information about activities people attended and how staff could support them to do so.

The service ensured people's privacy and dignity was respected and promoted.

People were supported with their nutritional needs. Care records contained information about people’s dietary needs. Care was delivered in line with relevant legislation and standards.

Safeguarding adults from abuse procedures were in place and care workers understood how to safeguard people they supported. Care workers had received safeguarding adults training and were able to explain the possible signs of abuse as well as the correct procedure to follow if they had concerns.

Staff demonstrated knowledge of their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Care records contained details of people’s capacity and were signed by people using the service or those lawfully acting on their behalf.

People told us they were involved in decisions about their care and how their needs were met.

Recruitment procedures ensured that only staff who were suitable worked within the service. The service also ensured there were sufficient numbers of suitable staff to support people.

Complaints were investigated and responded to in a timely manner.

Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and support, and received support for their roles. There was an induction programme for new staff which prepared them for their role.

Quality assurance processes were thorough. Senior management completed a variety of audits and ensured learning was undertaken from these.

The provider had a vision to deliver high-quality care and support. Staff demonstrated that they were clear about the values of the organisation and how these supported their work.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, their relatives, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

Safeguarding and restraint procedures were in place and staff were trained and understood how to safeguard the people they supported. Risks were assessed for people and actions were taken to address any risk promptly.

Deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) were obtained before people were restricted in anyway in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Best interest assessment was carried out to ensure it was done for the best interest of the person.

Is the service effective?

People were involved in their care, support and treatment. The provider cooperated with other health professionals in the planning and coordination of their care and treatment. People were supported to access services as required. People's support plans were tailored to reflect their individual needs and the outcomes they wanted to achieve.

Is the service caring?

Staff understood the needs of people they supported. They treated people with dignity and respect. Staff showed understanding of the needs of people they supported and their different circumstances. Interactions between people and staff were positive and open.

Is the service responsive?

People were supported to participate in activities within and outside the home. There was effective joint working between the home and other professionals to ensure the service responded to people's needs. Support plans and risk assessments were reviewed monthly and reflected the changing needs of people.

Is the service well-led?

There was a range of quality assurance systems in place. External auditors visited annually to assess the quality of service. Monthly review meetings, daily handover meetings, meetings for people using the service and staff meetings took place where the quality of service was discussed. Staff and people using the service told us their views were listened to and feedback was used to improve the service.

Throughout our inspection, we observed staff interactions with people using the service. We found that staff were friendly, approachable and supportive, yet professional in their interactions with people using the service.

People were protected from unsafe or unsuitable equipment because the provider followed appropriate guidelines that ensured people had access to safe equipment. All electrical equipment was Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) tested, fire safety equipment was in place and suitable furnishings were in place.

There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place, and appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work.

Arrangements were in place to monitor the quality of the service, which included residents' meetings, key work sessions, and regular health and safety monitoring checks.