Outlook Care - Veronica Close

Updated 27 September 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 unannounced comprehensive inspection took place on 30 August 2018. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Prior to the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR), which was submitted to us in February 2018. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, such as what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included any concerns or notifications of incidents that the provider had sent us since the last inspection. We also reviewed previous reports and contacted the local authority to obtain their views about the service.

During our inspection we spent time observing care and support provided to people. We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager and four care staff. We spoke briefly with two people who used the service. Most people were unable to speak with us due to their disabilities.

After our inspection we spoke with two relatives by telephone. We looked at four people’s care records and other records relating to the management of the service. This included four staff supervision and training files, accident and incident records, health and safety, quality monitoring and medicines records.

Updated 27 September 2018

We carried out an unannounced inspection of Outlook Care - 86-88 Veronica Close on 30 August 2018. At our last inspection on 26 January 2016 the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection, we found the service remained ‘Good’.

Outlook Care - 86-88 Veronica Close is a care home. 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.

It is a care home for up to 10 people with learning disabilities and autism. The care 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 and autism in the home can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. Nine people were living in the home at the time of our inspection.

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 home. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the associated regulations on how the home is run.

We made a recommendation at our last inspection, for the provider to ensure there was availability of hand sanitisers in bathrooms, to control possible spreads of infection. At this inspection, we saw the provider had made improvements to ensure infection control procedures were followed. We found all bathrooms contained sufficient amounts of anti-bacterial sanitisers and gels for people, staff and visitors to use, to help protect against the spread of infections in the home.

People received safe care and there were enough staff on duty to support people. Recruitment processes were safe, which ensured that staff were suitable to work with people who needed support. Systems were in place to ensure medicines were administered safely and when needed.

Equipment in the service was safe to use. They were maintained and serviced regularly. People lived in an environment that was clean, safe and suitable for their needs. Accidents and incidents were monitored and analysed to ensure they were minimised in future.

Staff knew how to keep people safe. Risks to them were identified and there was guidance in place for staff to minimise these risks. People were supported by staff who had received training to ensure they had the skills to support them.

People’s nutritional needs were met. Staff worked with health and social care professionals, such as speech and language therapists and GPs, to ensure that people remained healthy and well.

People were supported to have choice and remain as independent as possible. The service was compliant with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People and relatives were involved in decisions about their care. They were able to provide feedback and make suggestions about what they wanted from the service.

Staff continued to be responsive to people’s needs. They were supported by staff who knew them well. The staff were caring and treated people with respect. Their privacy and dignity were maintained.

People and relatives were involved in the development and review of their care plans, which were personalised according to each person's needs.

We saw that staff supported people patiently and were attentive to their needs. They engaged with people in a kind and considerate manner. People took part in activities and social events that they enjoyed. They were able to provide feedback and make suggestions about what they wanted from the service.

Since the last inspection, a new registered manager had started to manage the service. They had implemented systems to ensure the quality of the service was monitored regularly. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and told us the service was well-led.