We carried out an unannounced inspection of the service on 17 November 2015. Helmsley Road Short Break Services is registered to accommodate up to twelve people and specialises in providing short breaks, care and support for people who live with a learning disability. The service is split into three bungalows with a fourth used as the base for administration. At the time of the inspection there were four people using the service. On the day of our inspection there were two newly appointed registered managers in place. 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.
The risk to people’s safety was reduced because staff had attended safeguarding adults training, could identify the different types of abuse, and knew the procedure for reporting concerns. People were given the freedom to live their lives as they choose to and no unnecessary restrictions were placed on them. Where appropriate people’s relatives and other healthcare professionals were involved in discussions about the care and support provided.
Accidents and incidents were investigated and used to reduce the risk to people’s safety. Regular assessments of the environment people lived in and the equipment used to support them were carried out and people had personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) in place.
People were supported by an appropriate number of staff. Appropriate checks of staff suitability to work at the service had been conducted prior to them commencing their role. People were supported by staff who understood the risks associated with medicines. People’s medicines were stored, handled and administered safely.
People were supported by staff who completed an induction prior to commencing their role and had the skills needed to support them effectively. Regular reviews of the quality of staff members’ work were conducted and staff felt supported in carrying out their role effectively. Staff were well trained although there were a small number of areas where some staff required refresher training.
The registered managers had not always ensured they had recorded how the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) had been applied when decisions had been made for people. The appropriate processes had been followed when applications for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards had been made.
People spoke highly of the food and were supported to follow a healthy and balanced diet. People’s day to day health needs were met by the staff and external professionals. Referrals to relevant health services were made where needed.
Staff supported people in a kind and caring way. Staff understood people’s needs and listened to and acted upon their views. Staff responded quickly to people who had become distressed.
People told us they were provided with the information they needed that enabled them to contribute to decisions about their support however this was not always recorded within their care records. People were provided with information about how they could access independent advocates to support them with decisions about their care, although where this information was positioned, could make it difficult for some people to access. Staff understood how to maintain people’s dignity. People’s friends and relatives were able to visit whenever they wanted to.
People were involved with planning the support they wanted to receive from staff. People’s care records were reviewed although there were some parts of the records that required more regular review. People’s support plan records were written in a person centred way and staff knew people’s likes and dislikes and what interested them. People were encouraged to do the things that were important to them and they were supported to take part in activities individually and collectively with the people they lived with. People were provided with the information they needed if they wished to make a complaint.
The registered managers led the service well, understood their responsibilities and were liked and respected by people, staff and relatives. Staff understood what was expected of them and how they could contribute to ensuring people received safe and effective care that met their individual needs. People were encouraged to provide feedback and this information was used to improve the service. There were a number of quality assurance processes in place that regularly assessed the quality and effectiveness of the support provided. The registered managers had an action plan in place to continually drive improvement at the home.