Archived: Walton Road

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 checked 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 was carried out on the 5 April 2018. The inspection was unannounced and carried out by one inspector. We looked at records, including two people’s care records, staff recruitment and training records and records relating to the management of the service. One person was at home when we visited. This person had communication difficulties and was not able to verbally communicate some of their views to us so we also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We spoke with another person’s relative and asked them for their views about the home. We also spoke with one member of staff, the registered manager and a member of the provider’s human resources team.

Before the inspection we looked at the information we held about the service including notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. The provider also completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR 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 contacted the local authority that commissions services from the provider to gain their views about the home. We used this information to help inform our inspection planning.

Updated 1 May 2018

61 Walton Road is a residential care home that provides accommodation and care for up to three people with autism. At the time of the inspection the home was providing care and support to three 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.

At our last inspection of this service on 5 January 2016 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good. The home demonstrated they continued to meet the regulations and fundamental standards.

The home had a registered manager in post. 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.

There were safeguarding and whistle blowing procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. There was enough staff on duty to meet people’s assessed needs. Appropriate recruitment checks were carried out before staff started working at the home. Action was taken to assess any risks to people. People were receiving support with medicines when they were required.

Staff had the knowledge and skills required to meet people needs. 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 support this practice. People were encouraged to eat healthy meals and to cook for themselves. Staff monitored people’s health and welfare and where there were concerns people were referred to appropriate health professionals.

People’s needs were assessed and care plans included detailed information and guidance for staff about how their needs should be met. People’s care records included individual communication profiles that recorded their methods of communicating with staff. The home had a complaints procedure in place in a format that people could understand.

The provider recognised the importance of regularly monitoring the quality of the service they provided to people. Regular health and safety, medicines, fire safety and incidents and accidents audits were carried out at the home. The home took into account people’s and their relatives views of the service through regular satisfaction surveys. Staff said they liked working at the home and they received good support from the registered manager.