Four Winds

Updated 18 December 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 took place on 20 November 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

As part of the inspection, we reviewed the information available to us about the service, such as the notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We looked at the Provider Information Return. This is a form we ask the registered provider to complete detailing key information about the service, what the service does well and what improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection visit, we observed how people were being supported and how staff interacted with them. We also spoke with four members of staff including support workers, the operations manager and the registered manager. We contacted relatives following this inspection by telephone. We checked one person’s care and medicines administration records. We also looked at records and audits relating to how the service is run and monitored, including recruitment and training for staff and health and safety records relating to the service.

Updated 18 December 2018

Four winds is residential care home for up to four people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were three people living at the service. People lived in a domestic style house within the local community.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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

.

There was 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.

Risk assessments were in place and they accurately identified current risks to the person as well as ways for staff to minimise or appropriately manage those risks. Staff understood what action they should take if they were concerned people may be at risk. The registered manager informed us a current safeguarding investigation was being undertaken and the service was liaising with the local authority. Appropriate action had been taken to ensure people remained safe.

The provider ensured sufficient numbers of staff had been subject to pre-employment checks were deployed in the service. Trained staff safely managed people’s medicines. There were processes in place to protect people from the risk of acquiring an infection. Accidents and incidents were analysed for trends by the registered manager and provider and lessons learnt to reduce instances of accidents or incidents occurring again.

Staff were well supported due to regular supervision, annual appraisals and a robust induction programme, which developed their understanding of people and their routines. Staff also received a wide range of specialised training to ensure they could support people safely and carry out their roles effectively. 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 supported this practice. Menus were planned with input from people, based on their personal preferences and choices.

People were provided with opportunities to follow their interests and hobbies and they were introduced to new activities. They were all supported to contribute and to be part of the local community. We found care plans were in place which included information about how to meet a person's individual and assessed needs. People's cultural and religious needs were respected when planning and delivering care. The service had a complaints procedure in place.

Staff told us the registered manager was approachable and supportive. The service had various quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms in place.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.