Archived: Alderbury

Updated 21 October 2015

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 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.

This inspection took place on 8 September 2015 and was unannounced. We returned on 9 September 2015 to complete the inspection.

The inspection was completed by two inspectors. Before the inspection, we reviewed all of the information we hold about the service, including previous inspection reports and notifications sent to us by the provider. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us.

During the visit we spoke with two people who use the service, the registered manager, area manager and four support workers. We spent time observing the way staff interacted with people who use the service and looked at the records relating to support and decision making for three people. We also looked at records about the management of the service. Following the visit we spoke with two relatives by phone and received feedback from the Wiltshire Council quality improvement team who have contact with the service.

Updated 21 October 2015

Alderbury is a care home which provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people with learning disabilities and additional physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection five people were living at the home.

This inspection took place on 8 September 2015 and was unannounced. We returned on 9 September 2015 to complete the inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Plans to manage risks people faced did not always contain up to date information or provide guidance to staff on the support that people needed.

Staff did not demonstrate a good understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Mental capacity assessments for people did not follow the principles of the MCA.

Medicines were safely managed and people who use the service and relatives were positive about the care they received. Comments from relatives included, “ I am very happy with the care provided. (My relative) is always very well looked after”; “There are sufficient staff available and they know (my relative) well”; and “I have raised concerns with the manager and I have seen improvements recently”.

There were systems in place to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them. Staff understood the needs of the people they were supporting.

Staff received training suitable to their role and an induction when they started working for the service. They demonstrated a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the values and philosophy of the service.

The provider assessed and monitored the quality of care and was in the process of addressing shortfalls in the service provided.

We found breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.