Mary & Joseph House

Updated 24 February 2021

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.

This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place. As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

This inspection took place on 3 February 2021 and was announced. The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control.

Updated 24 February 2021

About the service:

Mary & Joseph House provides high quality accommodation and personal care to adult males with enduring mental health needs. Accommodation is provided from 11 self-contained flats and 30 single bedrooms. At the time of this inspection, 40 people used the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

The service maintained its overall rating of Outstanding awarded at the last inspection in 2016. People, relatives and health and social care professionals continued to describe the service as exceptional and said care was extremely person-centred and responsive.

There was a truly open and welcoming atmosphere on entering the premises. The registered manager, staff and people living at the home were enthusiastic about the inspection visit and were eager to share experiences.

Staff were exceptionally kind and caring towards people and had developed very strong relationships with them, knowing them well, including their histories, likes and dislikes. People had a say in the staff who worked at the service and who supported them.

The service was exceptional at helping people achieve positive outcomes, building confidence, independence and helping people develop and restore life skills.

There was an excellent range of activities and opportunities available to people. People had been introduced to new activities, which had led to the development of hobbies, friendships and opportunities for volunteering. Through exceptional care planning people had become more independent.

Mary & Joseph House was a fully accessible building that exceeded people’s needs. Since our last inspection, improvements continued to be made to enhance internal aspects of the home, and externally within the grounds. Key standout features included a brand new bistro, refurbished dining room and games room, and the installation of seven new raised allotment beds and a new greenhouse for growing flowers and vegetables.

The registered manager and the wider leadership team were inspiring and dedicated to providing support which met the highest of standards. They strived for excellence through collaboration; they were passionate and dedicated to providing an outstanding service to people.

The registered manager had won two prestigious awards in recognition of her outstanding leadership, commitment to developing talent, and unwavering commitment to providing high quality care.

The open, inclusive and supportive nature of the service meant that promoting equality and diversity and respecting people’s human rights was a golden thread that ran through every aspect of the service.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated ‘Outstanding’ in all areas. (published 19 December 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk