Woodborough

Updated 10 January 2019

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 comprehensive inspection took place on 26 November 2018 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors. Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service including information from notifications. Notifications are events that happen in the home that the registered provider and registered manager are required to tell us about. We also considered the last inspection report, the information supplied by the provider (PIR) and information that had been supplied by other agencies. We also contacted commissioners who had a contract with the home to support people who lived there.

During the inspection we met three of the four people who were living in the home. We spent our time in the company of people who used the service and with staff who provided the care. We spent time observing people in the communal areas of the home. We saw how they were being cared for and supported by staff.

We spoke with the manager, the operations manager and four members of staff. We looked at care records of three people, medication administration records, records that related to the management of the home. These included records relating to audits and systems in the home including some records of the checks of safety procedures.

Updated 10 January 2019

Heathcotes (Woodborough) is a care home for six people. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection. There were four people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

The accommodation was in a three-storey home with a self-contained flat in the garden for one person. People had single en-suite bedrooms and shared access to communal rooms and bathrooms.

The care service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At our last inspection in June 2016 we rated the service good. We inspected this service as concerns had been raised about the quality of the care provision. The provider had been working with the local authority to address these concerns. At this inspection we found the service remained Good, however improvements were needed to ensure all areas of risk were reviewed. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

There was no registered manager in post at the time of the 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. The service was being managed by a registered manager from a nearby home also managed by the same provider.

The majority of risks for individuals had been assessed to protect people from potential harm. However, the provider had not identified all risks to the living environment to ensure people’s safety. Staff understood how to protect people from harm and abuse. People’s medicines were managed safely, and they were protected from any harm associated with them. There were suitable numbers of staff working in the home and the provider followed safe recruitment practices.

People received effective support from staff who had received training to gain the skills and knowledge to meet their specific needs. People were supported by staff in the least restrictive way possible to have maximum choice and control of their lives. People could make decisions about their life and where any restriction was identified, applications were made to ensure this was lawful. Staff gained people’s consent before they assisted them, and were aware of how to support them to make decisions. Staff received training to ensure they could carry out their roles effectively. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and access healthcare services when needed.

People were supported by staff who had positive and caring relationships with them. People were listened to, and they were involved in making day to day decisions about their care. Their independence was promoted, and people were supported to have control in their lives. Staff understood how to ensure people’s privacy and dignity were respected.

People participated in different activities they enjoyed, were involved in the planning of their support, and received care that was individual to them. Their views were considered when improvements were made in the service and they knew how to raise concerns.

The registered manager worked with other providers of services and there were monitoring arrangements to improve on the quality of the service that was provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.