Homelands

Updated 1 May 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 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 20 March 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector, and an inspection manager.

Prior to the inspection, we reviewed information we held about the service, such as previous inspection reports, and any notifications received by the Care Quality Commission. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to tell us about by law. The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). A PIR is information we require providers to send to us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection, we spoke with the manager, two care staff and four people that use the service. We looked at three care plans and risk assessments, three recruitment files, medicine records, quality assurance surveys and audits. After the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, a staff member and three relatives.

Updated 1 May 2018

Care service description

Homelands is a residential care home for 8 people with learning disabilities. The service is a detached house, in a rural location.

Homelands is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service has 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 using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

There was a registered manager at the time of our 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 run day to day by a service manager, who will be refered to as ‘the manager’ throughout the report.

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

Rating at this inspection

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated …

Some people at the service managed their own medicines, and others managed their own creams. People received their medicines safely and at the right time. People were supported by sufficient levels of staff, that knew people well and had been recruited safely. Risks to people had been assessed and mitigated. Accidents and incidents were reviewed with improvement plans implemented and learning shared with staff. People were involved in the running of the service, including ensuring the service was clean and protected by the prevention and control of infection.

Staff had the necessary training to safeguard people from potential abuse. People’s needs and choices had been assessed and staff understood and worked to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). People were encouraged to live healthy lives, and supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts. Staff worked with health care agencies to ensure people had access to other health care professionals including ensuing everyone was registered with a GP and dentist. The service met people’s needs, and people’s rooms were personalised.

People were treated with dignity, kindness and respect, and encouraged to be as independent as possible. People were partners in their care planning, people had signed their care plans and had regular reviews with staff, relatives and care managers. Staff took time to interact with people, using their preferred communication methods and having meaningful interactions.

People received personalised care, specific to their needs. People’s care plans were detailed, individualised and reviewed regularly with them. There had been no complaints since our last inspection, however people and relatives were regularly given the opportunity to feedback any complaints or concerns. The service was not supporting anyone with end of life care at the time of our inspection.

People, relatives and staff told us the service was well led. There was a registered manager in post, however the service was run by the manager day to day. Staff and managers had a shared vision of the service. People enjoyed living at the service, and staff told us they enjoyed working there. There were regular audits completed by staff and the manager. The manager had created a development plan which contained actions for this year, as well as successful implementations from the previous year. Staff told us they were involved in driving improvements at the service, and understood their roles and responsibilities. Feedback was sought from people and relatives to improve the service. The manager worked in partnership with external organisations including care managers and safeguarding teams.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.