Archived: Royal Mencap Society - 3 Meadow View

Royal Mencap Society - 3 Meadow View is a residential care home providing personal care for up to four people who have learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection four people were living at the home.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

There were enough skilled staff to meet people's needs. People received support and attention to safely engage in activities and daily living. Risks were well managed, and people received treatment and medication to keep them safe.

People could not talk to us about their experience of living at the service and being cared for by staff. However, we spent time with them observing how staff supported them. There was a stable staff team who were knowledgeable about the people living at the service and people were clearly at ease in the company of staff and each other.

Staff were committed to delivering care in a person-centred way based on people's preferences and wishes.

Staff treated people with dignity, kindness and compassion. There was a caring and friendly atmosphere between staff and people using the service.

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.

Staff had access to relevant training and regular supervision to equip them with the knowledge and skills to care and support people effectively.

Regular contact with healthcare professionals was maintained by staff so that healthcare and support needs could be monitored and acted upon as necessary. Care plans were reviewed and updated as required.

People were supported to engage in meaningful activities of their choice and were involved in their local community.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

The leadership of the service promoted a positive culture that was person-centred and inclusive. Relatives expressed confidence in the registered manager and staff, they said they were well informed and updated by the home about all aspects of the care provided.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 19 May 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Procedures were in place which helped to ensure people were supported by care workers who understood the importance of protecting them from avoidable harm and abuse. Care workers had received training on how to identify abuse and report any concerns to the appropriate authorities.

There were sufficient care workers with appropriate skills and knowledge to meet people’s individual needs and the registered provider had a robust recruitment process that ensured only care workers deemed suitable to work with vulnerable people had been employed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care workers supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

Where people received support with their medicines, systems and processes were in place that ensured this was managed and administered safely and in a timely manner. Accurate records were maintained and reviewed.

Everybody living at the home was involved in their care planning as much or as little as they wanted or were able to be. People’s records of their care were reviewed and included up to date information that reflected their current needs.

People were provided with a wholesome and nutritionally balanced diet which was of their choosing.

People were supported to access other healthcare professionals where this was required.

Care workers had a good understanding of people’s needs and were kind and caring. They understood the importance of respecting people’s dignity and upholding their right to privacy.

People were supported to undertake activities of their choosing and these included holidays, and involvement with the local and wider community.

Systems and processes were in place to encourage, manage and investigate any complaints.

People who used the service, and those who had an interest in their welfare and wellbeing, were asked for their views about how the service was run.

Regular audits were carried out to ensure the service was safe and well run.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Where people were not able to use verbal communication to inform the running of the service support staff were deployed to act on their behalf. People's independence was promoted through involvement in daily tasks.

We observed the support provided to people who used the service and saw that staff approached people in a way that was respectful and appropriate. Care records provided additional detail where people could not verbally communicate their needs.

Staff had a good knowledge of the dietary requirements of people who used the service and provided appropriate support. We observed the support provided to one person at tea time and saw that staff ensured they were not rushed.

Appropriate recruitment policies were in place to check that people working at the service did not present a risk to people who lived at the service.

The provider had effective systems in place to check on the quality and safety of the service people received at 3 Meadow View.

Records were accurate, fit for purpose and were stored securely.

People's consent to care was gained and we saw evidence that people received the care they needed. Staff had training in the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards (DoLS) to ensure people's rights were protected.

We saw up to date plans of care which considered individual physical, emotional and mental health care needs. We saw risk assessments and that all documentation was kept up to date to ensure people had their changing needs met. We saw that the home consulted with specialists to make sure people had the benefit of expert advice.

People were protected from harm and the risk of harm through staff training and risk assessments.

We saw that the home had an effective system to assess and monitor the quality of service.