We inspected this service on 21 April 2017. This was an announced inspection, as we needed to ensure people were using the service at the time of our inspection. This was the service’s first inspection since they registered with us in 2015. The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to three people who have a learning disability. People use this service for short respite breaks. The service also offers personal care support to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection three people were using the service for a respite break and one person was receiving care in their own home.
The service 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We found that improvements were required to ensure that effective systems were in place to ensure people’s care records contained the information needed to ensure people received consistent care. Improvements were also needed to ensure that incidents relating to behaviours that challenged were monitored so any themes and trends could be identified. Immediately after our inspection, the home manager shared the systems they had devised to make these improvements. This showed they were responsive to our feedback. We will check the effectiveness of these new systems at our next inspection.
The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards were not always followed as required. There were also some gaps in staff training. The home manager was aware of these gaps and was taking action to improve compliance in this area.
People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff knew how to recognise and report potential abuse. Safe staffing levels were maintained to promote people’s safety and to ensure people participated in activities of their choosing. Staff understood how to keep people safe and people’s medicines were managed safely.
People’s health and wellbeing needs were monitored and people were supported to access health and social care professionals as required. People could eat meals that met their individual preferences.
People were treated with care, kindness and respect and staff promoted people’s independence and right to privacy.
People were involved in the assessment and planning of their care and they were supported and enabled to make choices about their care. The choices people made were respected by the staff.
Staff supported people to access the community and participate in activities that met their individual preferences.
Staff sought and listened to people’s views about the care and action was taken to make improvements to care. People understood how to complain about their care and a suitable complaints procedure was in place.
People and staff told us that the home manager was supportive and approachable. The home manager regularly assessed and monitored the quality of the service’s environment and equipment care to ensure it was safe and well maintained.