Archived: Valley Road Care Home

Updated 9 July 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is 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.

We inspected the service on 8 June 2016. This was an unannounced inspection. The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection, the provider 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 received this information as requested. Prior to our inspection we also checked the information that we held about the service such as information we had received and statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We contacted commissioners (who fund the care for some people) of the service and healthcare professionals and asked them for their views.

During the visit we spoke with three people who used the service, four care workers, the deputy manager and the registered manager. We observed care and support in communal areas. We looked at the care records of four people who used the service, staff training records and the recruitment records of three staff. We also looked at a range of documentation in relation to the running of the service including medication records and audits. Following our visit we spoke with three relatives of people who lived at the service.

Updated 9 July 2016

We inspected Valley Road Care Home on 8 June 2016. The inspection was unannounced.

Valley Road Care Home is located in Carlton, Nottingham. The service provides accommodation, personal care and support for up to 11 people with learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorder. At the time of our visit nine people were living at the service.

The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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.

People told us they felt safe and were protected from the risk of abuse as staff had a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities if they suspected abuse was happening.

Risks to peoples safety were identified and assessments carried out and followed by staff to minimise risk of harm.

People received care and support in a timely way. Appropriate action had been taken by the registered manager to fill staff vacancies and the staff team had worked hard to ensure that people’s support needs were met during staff shortages.

People received their medicines as prescribed and the management of medicines was safe.

People received support from staff who received training and support to ensure they could carry out their roles effectively.

People were encouraged to make independent decisions wherever possible. However, people were not always protected by the Mental Capacity Act (2005) in the event they lacked capacity to make some decisions.

People were supported to maintain their nutritional and health needs. Referrals were made to health care professionals for additional support or guidance when needed and staff followed their guidance to ensure people maintained good health.

People were supported in a respectful and dignified manner and we observed that positive caring relationships had been developed between staff and people using the service. Where possible people were supported to make choices about their care and daily activities.

Staff understood peoples support needs and ensured they received personalised responsive care. People had the opportunity to take part in activities as they wished. People’s care records were in the process of being updated and the registered manager acknowledged that further improvements to these were required.

People, who lived at the service, and their relatives, knew how to raise an issue and were confident these would be listened to and acted on.

The registered manager told us about improvements they were implementing to ensure people resided in a consistently clean environment. Quality monitoring systems were in place and effective in identifying areas for improvement and ensuring these were acted on.

There was an open and transparent culture at the service and the views of people who used the service were sought in monitoring the quality of service provision.