About the service: Kittens Lane is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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.
Kittens Lane accommodates up to 10 people with a learning disability and complex needs in two self-contained bungalows. During our comprehensive unannounced inspection on 10 April 2019, there were 10 people living there.
This care service supported people in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidelines. 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.
People’s experience of using this service:
Staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from abuse, harm and discrimination.
Staff continued to be recruited safely and received on-going support and training to be competent in their roles.
People were protected from harm by effective systems in place to monitor medicine management, staffing, infection control and the upkeep of the premises.
People’s nutritional and hydration needs were met.
The service worked well with other organisations to ensure people had joined up care. Community professionals made positive comments about the service provided to people.
People’s independence was encouraged, their privacy respected, and their dignity maintained.
The way staff interacted with people had a positive effect on their well-being. People using the service appeared comfortable in the presence of staff.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.
People’s care records were detailed and up to date. They were reviewed with the person and their relatives where possible. They reflected people’s needs with their end of life wishes documented.
People had a variety of activities which they enjoyed on a regular basis and had opportunities to maintain positive links with their community.
People and relatives' views were sought, and opportunities taken to improve the service.
Formal supervision meetings were carried out with staff. They told us they were supported and clear about what was expected of them.
There was a complaints procedure in place and people’s concerns were addressed.
The service had systems to continuously monitor, assess and improve the service provided.
Rating at last inspection:
We inspected Kittens Lane on 21 October 2016 and published our report on 5 December 2016. We rated the service overall good. Safe, effective, caring and responsive were rated good and well led was rated requires improvement.
Why we inspected:
We inspected this service in line with our inspection schedule for services currently rated as good.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated good.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk