Fylde and Wyre Short Break Services

Updated 19 December 2017

We carried out this comprehensive inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is 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.

Fylde and Wyre Short Break Services is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The care home accommodates six people in a purpose built bungalow. The bungalow has six bedrooms, one lounge, dining area and a sun lounge. There is also a smaller quiet lounge and sitting room at the front of the bungalow.

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.

Prior to our inspection visit we contacted the commissioning department at Lancashire county council and Healthwatch Lancashire. Healthwatch Lancashire is an independent consumer champions for health and social care. This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.

As part of the inspection we used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

This inspection visit took place on14 November 2017 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the service was a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day, we needed to be sure someone would be in.

The inspection team consisted of an adult social care inspector.

During the visit we spoke with a range of people about the service. They included five people staying at the service, six relatives, the registered manager and two community support workers. We also observed care practices and how staff interacted with people in their care. This helped us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at care records of two people, staff training matrix, supervision records of two staff and arrangements for meal provision. We also looked at records relating to the management of the home and the medication records of two people. We reviewed the recruitment of one staff member and checked staffing levels. We also checked the building to ensure it was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to live.

Updated 19 December 2017

This inspection visit took place on 14 November 2017 and was announced. Fylde and Wyre Short Break Services is a purpose built bungalow set in its own grounds close to a day centre for people with learning disabilities. The bungalow has six bedrooms, one lounge, dining area and a sun lounge. There is also a smaller quiet lounge and sitting room at the front of the bungalow. There are a range of aids and adaptations in place which meets the needs of people using the service. At the time of our inspection visit there were 50 people currently using the service and five people staying at the bungalow.

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.

At the last inspection on 01 May 2017 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

We spoke with five people staying at Fylde and Wyre Short Breaks Services. They told us they always enjoyed their stays and liked the staff who supported them. They told us they were supported to maintain their independence and undertake activities of their choice during their stay. One person said, “I like coming here the staff are nice. They take me swimming which I like.”

We received positive feedback from family members contacted during the inspection. They told us their relatives were well supported, safe and treated with dignity and respect when they stayed at Fylde and Wyre Short Breaks Services. One person said, “[Relative] gets really excited about going to stay at the bungalow. [Relative] loves the staff who are absolutely brilliant.”

We found sufficient staffing levels were in place to provide support people required. Careful consideration had been given to matching staff with specific skills and personalities to ensure people were supported by staff they knew and liked.

The service had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices.

Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were relevant to the care provided.

Staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.

We found medication procedures in place at the service were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medicines were safely kept and appropriate arrangements for storing were in place.

We saw there was an emphasis on promoting dignity, respect and independence for people who stayed at the service. People told us staff treated them as individuals and delivered person centred care.

People who used Fylde and Wyre Short Breaks Services had a care and support plan created with their involvement or a family member and was written in a person centred way. The care plan documented all aspects of the persons needs including how they wanted their care and support to be provided, their wants, needs, likes and dislikes.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained, was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

The design of the building and facilities provided were appropriate for the care and support provided.

The service had safe infection control procedures in place and staff had received infection control training. Staff wore protective clothing such as gloves and aprons when needed. This reduced the risk of cross infection.

People had been supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People who stayed at Fylde and Wyre Short Breaks Services told us they enjoyed the meals and choices made available to them during their stay.

We found people had access to healthcare professionals during their stays and their healthcare needs had been met. One family member we spoke with said, “They are very prompt at getting medical attention for [relative] if this is required. We are always updated straight away if there has been a problem.”

People staying at Fylde and Wyre Short Breaks Services told us they enjoyed a variety of activities which were organised for their entertainment. These included going to the pictures, bowling and playing computer games.

People told us staff were very caring towards them. Staff we spoke with understood the importance of high standards of care to give people meaningful lives.

The service had information with regards to support from an external advocate should this be required by them.

The people we spoke with and their family members were all extremely positive regarding the support and engagement they experienced from Fylde and Wyre Short Break Services. Comments received from relatives included, “The care is absolutely outstanding. They frequently go above and beyond what any parent could expect.” And, “Communication with the service is outstanding. They listen and act. The impact on our family since our introduction to the service is indescribeable. I cannot thank them enough.”

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home and their relatives. The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the service and had no complaints.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits and relative meetings to seek their views about the service provided.