Background to this inspection
Updated
3 March 2020
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
Orchard View 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.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the support provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager and support workers. We spent time observing people being supported in communal areas.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at one staff file in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
3 March 2020
About the service
Orchard View is a residential care home providing personal care to eight people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to nine people. The service is registered to provide support to people living with learning disabilities and autism.
Support was provided to people in one adapted building. The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties and larger than current best practice guidance. However. the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area. There were no identifying signs or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff wore ordinary clothes and there was nothing to suggest they were care staff when coming and going with people.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they were happy living at the service. One person said, “All the staff here are really nice. I am happy here.”
People continued to be supported to remain safe. Risk to health and safety were well managed. Staff knew how to protect people from abuse and when and how to raise concerns. Medicines were managed safely, and people received these on time and as prescribed. Incidents and accidents continued to be reported appropriately and were used as learning opportunities to improve people’s support.
People’s needs continued to be assessed prior to them moving in to the service. The assessment was used to plan people’s support, staff training and staffing levels. Staff were well supported and supervised and had the skills and training they needed to support people. Staff were motivated and said they were happy in their roles. Staff continued to be recruited safely to make sure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people.
People were supported to access healthcare services including dental care when they needed to do so. People had access to food and drink and were encouraged to access the kitchen with support where needed.
People were involved in decisions about their care and were supported to make choices. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Staff were kind and caring and offered people emotional support where this was needed. People were encouraged to express their views about their care and support. People said they were listened to by staff. Staff respected people’s privacy and people were treated in a dignified manner.
People had the opportunity to feedback about their support and any concerns through surveys, house meetings. People knew the registered manager and deputy manager well and interacted with them throughout the day. People and their relatives knew how to complain if they chose to do so. Care plans and support was person centred and staff knew people well.
There were systems in place to check and maintain the quality of the service to ensure people received a good standard of care. The service continued to work in partnership with other service to improve outcomes for people.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. These ensure people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes which include control, choice and independence.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published on 10 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.