Background to this inspection
Updated
14 January 2016
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 was 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.
The inspection took place on 11 December 2015 and was unannounced. Due to the small size of this service, the inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Before the inspection we reviewed the evidence we had about the service. This included any notifications of significant events, such as serious injuries or safeguarding referrals. Notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We did not ask the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) on this occasion as this inspection was brought forward. 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.
During the inspection we met all the people who lived at the service and spoke with three care staff. Some people were not able to tell us directly about the care they received. We observed the care and support they received and the interactions they had with staff. We looked at three people’s care records, including their assessments, support plans and risk assessments. We looked at how medicines were managed and the records relating to this. We looked at records of staff support and training and quality monitoring checks and audits.
We spoke with two relatives after the inspection to hear their views about the care and support their family members received.
The last full inspection of the service took place on 10 October 2013 and we identified concerns in relation to the safety and suitability of the premises. We carried out a follow up inspection on 7 February 2014 and found the provider had taken action to meet this standard.
Updated
14 January 2016
The Regard Partnership Limited - Hersham Road provides accommodation, care and support for a maximum of six adults with learning disabilities. There were five people using the service at the time of our inspection.
The inspection took place on 11 December 2015.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were kept safe because staff understood their responsibilities should they suspect abuse was taking place and knew how to report any concerns they had. Risks to people’s safety had been assessed and measures had been put in place to mitigate these risks. There were enough staff on duty to keep people safe and meet their needs. The provider’s recruitment procedures helped ensure that only suitable staff were employed. People’s medicines were managed safely.
People received their care from a consistent staff team who knew their needs well. Staff were supported through supervision and had access to relevant, ongoing training. Staff said morale had improved since the arrival of the registered manager and they worked well together as a team.
The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People’s best interests had been considered when they needed support to make decisions and applications for DoLS authorisations had been submitted where restrictions were imposed to keep people safe.
People’s nutritional needs were assessed and any dietary needs were managed effectively. Staff enabled people to make informed choices about what they ate and supported them to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to maintain good health and to obtain treatment when they needed it. The service had effective relationships with healthcare professionals which ensured that people received the care and treatment they needed.
Staff were kind and caring. They treated people with respect and supported them in a way that maintained their privacy and dignity. Staff made sure people had the information they needed to make informed choices and to understand information that was important to them. People were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and families.
People’s needs were assessed before they moved to the service and their support plans reflected their individual needs, preferences and goals. Staff had increased opportunities for people to take part in activities and to be involved in their local community. Relatives told us that this initiative had realised benefits for their family members in a short space of time.
The registered manager had improved the management and leadership of the service. The registered manager had identified goals for the service and encouraged staff to think creatively about how the support people received could be improved. The provider had effective systems of quality monitoring, which helped ensure that all areas of the service were working well and records were up to date.
The last full inspection of the service took place on 10 October 2013 and we identified concerns in relation to the safety and suitability of the premises. We carried out a follow up inspection on 7 February 2014 and found the provider had taken action to meet this standard.
The Regard Partnership Limited - Hersham Road provides accommodation, care and support for a maximum of six adults with learning disabilities. There were five people using the service at the time of our inspection.
The inspection took place on 11 December 2015.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were kept safe because staff understood their responsibilities should they suspect abuse was taking place and knew how to report any concerns they had. Risks to people’s safety had been assessed and measures had been put in place to mitigate these risks. There were enough staff on duty to keep people safe and meet their needs. Accidents and incidents were monitored and analysed to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. There were plans in place to ensure that people’s care would not be interrupted in the event of an emergency. The provider’s recruitment procedures helped ensure that only suitable staff were employed. People’s medicines were managed safely.
People received their care from a consistent staff team who knew their needs well. Staff were supported through supervision and had access to relevant, ongoing training. Staff said morale had improved since the arrival of the registered manager and they worked well together as a team.
The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People’s best interests had been considered when they needed support to make decisions and applications for DoLS authorisations had been submitted where restrictions were imposed to keep people safe.
People’s nutritional needs were assessed and any dietary needs were managed effectively. Staff enabled people to make informed choices about what they ate and supported them to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to maintain good health and to obtain treatment when they needed it. The service had effective relationships with healthcare professionals which ensured that people received the care and treatment they needed.
Staff were kind and caring. They treated people with respect and supported them in a way that maintained their privacy and dignity. Staff made sure people had the information they needed to make informed choices and to understand information that was important to them. People were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and families.
People’s needs were assessed before they moved to the service and their support plans reflected their individual needs, preferences and goals. Staff had increased opportunities for people to take part in activities and to be involved in their local community. Relatives told us that this initiative had realised benefits for their family members in a short space of time. There were appropriate procedures for managing complaints.
The registered manager had improved the management and leadership of the service. Clear goals for the service had been identified and staff had been encouraged to think creatively about how the support people received could be improved. The registered manager had increased the extent to which people who used the service, their families and staff were involved in developing the service.
The provider had effective systems of quality monitoring, which helped ensure that all areas of the service were working well and records were up to date.