Meols Drive Care Home with Nursing

Updated 9 April 2022

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 is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 24 March 2022. The inspection was announced a day before the inspection took place.

Updated 9 April 2022

This inspection took place on 22 June and 6 July 2018. The first day of our inspection was unannounced.

Since 2014, Meols Drive Care Home provided nursing care and rehabilitation support for men who have learning difficulties or autism spectrum disorder. The home is in a modern spacious detached building in its own grounds on a residential street in Hoylake, Wirral. The home is registered to provide accommodation and nursing care for up to 12 people, at the time of our inspection 11 people were living at the home. Meols Drive is on a residential road, within five minutes’ walk of the facilities of Hoylake which include local train and bus transport, shopping, socialising and community venues.

The home required and had a registered manager. 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 aim of the service is for people who had previously had more intensive care and support to learn the skills to help them live more independently. It is not intended that this is a home for long term, rather that people move on to more everyday living accommodation.

Many of the values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance were seen in practice at this service. There was overwhelming evidence that the core values of choice, promotion of independence and community inclusion; were at the centre of people’s day to day support.

However, the service was in a large home which was larger than most domestic style properties and was registered for the support of up to 12 people. This is larger than current best practice guidance. The size of the service having a negative impact on people had been mitigated in the following ways. The design of the building was such that it fit into its environment as it is in a residential road with other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside the building that may indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people. People had a high level of autonomy over how they spent their time. People’s support was built around them and this enabled people to live individualised lifestyles. Inside the building the living accommodation was split into two self-contained parts. The main part was the ‘house’ for nine people and the ‘flat’ for three people who lived more independently. In the main building there were numerous rooms that people could use in addition to their private space. The building did not feel overly busy or institutionalised.

Some people at the home have been identified as being ready to increase their independence and move into their own home. It is not the intention that Meols Drive is a long-term home for people and the service had worked closely with commissioners to help people get ready to move out of the home. One service commissioner told us that the service, “Ensured independence in a very supportive environment whilst people build up healthy social relationships.”

During our previous inspection in March 2016 we had found a breach of regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was because the administration of people’s medications was not always safe. We asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key question; ‘Is the service safe?’ to a rating of at least good.

At this inspection we saw that there had been improvements made in this area and the service was compliant with all the health and social care regulations. The breach we identified in March 2016 had been addressed and the rating for the key question; ‘Is there service safe?’ Is now good.

People and their families praised the care and support provided at the home. One person told us, “The staff are really positive.” One person’s relative told us, “The staff are lovely people, they are really, really nice and do a really good job.”

There was a positive and friendly atmosphere at the home. We saw warm, caring interactions between people and staff members. The service was designed so there was as few distinctions as possible between people supported and staff, promoting a respectful and inclusive atmosphere. One person told us, “They [support staff] treat this place with respect. It’s our home.” One social care professional said, “Meols Drive feels like a home, people are just doing everyday things.” At the home, we saw that there was a respect for and celebration of diversity.

The environment of the home was well maintained and safe. People received their medication safely from trained staff and there were enough staff to meet people needs safely and in a timely manner. All staff received support and training to be effective in their role.

People living at the home, their relatives and commissioners all praised the environment of the home. One person told us, “It looks just like a house.” Another person told us, “The building is gorgeous, in a great location.”

The service sought to get to know and understand people and their support needs before coming to live at the home. They used this time to draw up an individualised care plan, which was agreed with the person. The care planning process was used as an opportunity to really get to know a person. A key focus of the planning process was for people to learn new skills, build up confidence and become more independent and reduce their need for support from staff. Each person also had a health action plan as part of their care plan. People’s legal rights under the Mental Capacity Act (2005) were protected and people had regular access to independent advocacy.

Appropriate risk assessments were in place. One social work professional told us, “Staff are brilliant in spotting risks that could become an issue before they become an issue. Great at identifying risk.” Any incidents and accidents are recorded in detail and the information was used extensively to look for learning opportunities.

The service was well-led. People at the home, their relatives and outside professionals praised their leadership of the home. The registered manager had effective oversight of each aspect of the home through working alongside support staff, directing the homes culture, supervision, quality checks and audits. The wellbeing of the people living at the home was the primary focus of every staff member we spoke with.