Archived: 4 Claremont Road

4 Claremont Road is a residential care home that provides personal care for people with a learning disability. It is suitable for up to 12 people from 18 years and over. There were 12 people in the home at the time of the inspection.

The accommodation was in a large house with several communal areas and a large garden. 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.

Peoples experience of the service:

There was a warm friendly atmosphere. The registered manager was very person-centred and staff had an exceptional understanding of people’s individual needs. A range of activities were on offer to ensure the variety of opportunities reflected people’s interests and were inclusive within the local community.

People received safe care. Staff were aware of their responsibility to keep people safe. Risks were assessed and managed to reflect people's current needs. Staff received appropriate training and sufficient numbers of staff were deployed to meet people’s needs. People and their relatives were exceptionally positive about the staff and management team. Staff were proud to work at the service.

People received extremely good care that was effective for their needs. People were supported to eat and drink, by staff who were knowledgeable and suitably trained. There was a strong emphasis to ensure people receive sufficient food and drinks of their choice.

People's healthcare needs were monitored to ensure their day to day requirements were met. The

service involved people in decisions about their care. People used equipment and technology to ensure they could do things independently. The environment was clean and well maintained.

There was a strong person-centred culture throughout the service and staff provided caring and compassionate support. People were extremely positive about the caring nature of staff. People were treated with dignity and respect and their choices and preferences were respected. Care was tailored to meet individual needs. People were supported without exception to lead meaningful and independent lives. Information was provided in formats that were accessible to people. Complaints and concerns were comprehensively recorded and fully investigated with lessons learned and action taken appropriately.

The service was extremely well led, with a clear focus on person centred care, which empowered people and their relatives to make decisions about their care. Care planning involved people and their families, to make their wishes known and enabled them to be as independent as possible. The quality assurance systems in place effectively monitored the service. The registered manager responded positively to change and was proactive in improving the service. Staff were well supported. The management team put people at the heart of what they did and were well supported by the provider to deliver an exceptional service.

Safe recruitment was followed to ensure the staff employed were suitable to care for people and shared the culture of the service. People received their medicine as prescribed and this was administered by staff who were competent. The provider was following relevant guidance for infection control.

Systems were in place to monitor accidents and incidents to identify any lessons learned and make improvements where required.

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems were in place to support this practice.

There was a registered manager in post who was available throughout the 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Rating at last inspection:

The service was last inspected on 17 November 2016 and was rated Good.

Why we inspect:

This inspection tool place on 20 February 2019 and was an unannounced, planned, comprehensive inspection.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

4 Claremont Road is registered to provide accommodation for people who require nursing or personal care. At the time of the inspection there were 12 people using the service.

On the day of our inspection there was a registered manager 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.

People were safe living at the service because staff knew how to recognise and report any incidents of harm. Staff were confident that the registered manager would deal with any concerns that they reported.

Staffing levels were adequate to meet people’s needs Staff received an induction, training and supervision and felt supported by the management team. People were at the centre of the service and staff worked flexibly and organised their day around the needs and wishes of people. Staff were recruited through safe recruitment practices.

Medicines were safely administered and stored.

People received sufficient to eat and drink and their nutritional needs were catered for.

The registered manager applied the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivations of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), so that people’s rights were protected. People were asked for their consent before care and support was provided and this was respected.

People’s healthcare needs had been assessed and were regularly monitored. The service worked well with visiting healthcare professionals to ensure they provided effective care and support.

Staff were kind, caring and respectful towards the people they supported. Staff were aware of people's support needs and their personal preferences. People and/or their relatives were involved in the development and review of their care plans. People were encouraged to be independent and had access to independent advocacy services should they have required this support.

People were supported to participate in activities, interests and hobbies of their choice.

The complaints policy was accessible for everyone.

The management team was supportive and approachable towards people, relatives, external professionals and staff. People were involved or had opportunities to be involved in the development of the service. There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.