Background to this inspection
Updated
25 April 2018
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 was 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 comprehensive inspection took place on 3 April 2018 and was unannounced. One adult social care inspector undertook the inspector with the support from a British Sign Language interpreter.
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 also reviewed other information that we held about the service such as notifications. These detail events which happened at the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We also contacted the Local Authority for any information they held on the service.
We met with five people living at Pippin House and spoke with three people in depth, who also showed us around the home. We spoke with the registered manager and five staff. We reviewed two people’s care records and two staff files. We looked at how the home supported people with their medicines and managing their money, the training provided to staff and other documents relating to the management of the service. Following the inspection we received positive feedback from four relatives and the Intensive Assessment and Treatment Team (IATT) who provide guidance to the home for people who can at times experience distress and anxiety.
Updated
25 April 2018
Pippin House is a residential care home providing accommodation and support for up to eight younger adults with learning disabilities (including autistic spectrum disorder) and/or mental health needs, living with a hearing impairment. At the time of the inspection, seven people were living at the home. Accommodation is provided over three floors with each person having their own bedroom and bathroom. People share a communal lounge, dining room, conservatory, kitchen and laundry room. The home is surrounded by pleasant landscaped gardens.
At our last inspection in November 2015, we rated the home as good in all five key questions. At this inspection in April 2018 we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. We found support within the home has continued to improve and there was evidence of very good practice, particularly in supporting people’s independence and managing their health care needs.
This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
Why the service is rated good.
People continued to receive safe care that met their needs and expectations. The home had a strong emphasis on promoting people’s independence and involvement in decision making. People told us they enjoyed living at Pippin House and staff told us they were proud to work there.
During the inspection, people were busy going about their day to day activities and were keen to show us around the home and tell us what they did. This included gardening, both at the home and in the community, learning new skills such as hairdressing, as well as attending vocational courses and undertaking voluntary work.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Improvements since the previous inspection included supporting people to manage their medicines and finances. Information was presented in pictorial format to support people’s decision making, with each person involved in developing their own support plans and risk assessments.
Relatives told us the home provided an excellent level of support. Their comments included, “Nothing is ever too much trouble for the staff”, “I can't praise the staff enough” and “With the love and dedication from the excellent staff team he has grown in all areas of his life. It is such a relief to a family when their loved ones are in such a special place as Pippin House. To watch the way [name] has grown and progressed over the last few years is nothing short of amazing.”
Importance was placed upon supporting people with their healthcare needs and understanding the need for regular healthcare checks. The staff ensured there were no barriers to people receiving the healthcare support they required.
Staff were safely recruited and continued to receive the training and support they required for their role. Staff told us they felt listened to and they felt their team work had improved since the appointment of the new registered manager. Professional guidance was sought when necessary, for example with supporting people whose behaviour might place themselves and others at risk of harm. Advice was followed and support given in line with good practice. The communication between the home and professionals was good.
People, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals told us the home was well managed and gave us very good feedback about the registered manager’s attitude towards involving them in the running of the home.
There were systems in place to monitor and check that the quality of the service provided met with the aims of the organisation. Senior managers from The Royal National Institute for Deaf People regularly attended the home to meet with the registered manager, staff and people to ensure they had good oversight of the practices and culture within the home.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.