Archived: Larch Road

Updated 5 December 2017

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.

This inspection took place on 25 July 2016 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of an inspector 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. In this case the person had experience of caring for someone with a learning disability.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete 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. As the provider returned this form we used this when planning our inspection. We also contacted commissioners for feedback before the inspection and viewed notifications sent to us by the provider. Notifications are events or incidents that the provider must tell us about under the terms of their registration.

In order to gather information during the inspection we spoke to six people who used the service, five staff including the manager and a visiting nurse. We observed interaction between staff and people using the service. We also viewed three staff files, three care plans, person centred records and various management records; including rotas, training records, meeting minutes and medicine audits.

Updated 5 December 2017

This inspection took place on 25 July 2016 and was unannounced.

Larch Road cares for people with a learning disability and is registered for 8 people. On the day of our inspection there were 7 people living there. The registered manager had retired in February 2016 and had not yet been replaced. However, the provider had put interim management arrangements in place and the service was being managed by an interim manager with support from a registered manager from the wider organisation, until a new registered manager was appointed. 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 were cared for by qualified staff who understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. There were risk assessments in place which were reviewed regularly and helped ensure people were protected from identified risks. There were sufficient numbers of trained staff on duty to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff who administered medicines were suitably trained and their competency checked, to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to manage medicines safely.

Staff received appropriate training for their job role and had frequent supervisions and appraisals with the managers. Training was arranged in response to the particular needs of people using the service and ensured that staff had the knowledge and skills to fulfil their responsibilities to people. Staff gained consent from people before starting care and explained what they were doing in ways that people understood. People were involved in planning their meals, which included shopping and preparing meals or setting tables. People were supported to access community healthcare services to manage their overall health.

People were cared for by caring and compassionate staff who enjoyed their work. Staff spent time getting to know people and their personal characteristics. They developed positive and supportive relationships with people, whilst promoting independence and dignity. People contributed to their care plans and made decisions about their daily activities and meals.

There was an open and inclusive culture within the organisation where staff and people felt supported and heard. The provider and wider organisation were going through a period of transition and there was an element of uncertainty for some staff regarding their future roles. However, staff continued to provide good quality care and support for people using the service.