Background to this inspection
Updated
16 October 2015
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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
The inspection took place on 21 September 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.
As part of our inspection we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Our inspection visit confirmed the information contained within the PIR.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at information received from external bodies and the statutory notifications the manager had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.
We spoke with the person who lived in the home and spent time observing how they were cared for and how staff interacted with them so we could get a view of the care they received. We also spoke with one relative.
We spoke with the registered manager and two staff members. We reviewed one person’s care plans and daily records to see how their support was planned and delivered. We reviewed records of the checks the staff and management team made to assure themselves people received a quality service.
Updated
16 October 2015
We inspected The Poplars on 21 September 2015 as an unannounced inspection.
The Poplars is registered to provide accommodation for a maximum of four people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. There had been two people living at the home until very recently. There was only one person living there at the time of our inspection visit.
There was a registered manager at the time of our 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.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. There was always a member of care staff at the home to support the person living there on a one to one basis with their health and care needs. Staff had the support and training they required so their skills were kept up to date.
Staff understood their responsibility to report any concerns they had about people’s wellbeing in accordance with the provider’s safeguarding procedure. Medicines were stored and managed safely. Staff received training and they were regularly assessed to ensure they were competent to give people their medicines.
The provider and registered manager understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This ensured people were looked after in a way that did not inappropriately restrict their freedom.
People were involved in making choices about what food they wanted and staff understood people’s dietary requirements. People were supported to attend regular healthcare appointments and advice was sought when changes in health were identified.
Staff were kind and respectful and took time to understand people’s communication needs. People were supported to maintain relationships with friends and family.
Staff were responsive to people’s social needs and supported people to maintain interests that were important to them. People were involved in planning their care and involved in regular reviews.
The provider completed a number of checks to ensure they provided a good quality service. This ensured the service continuously improved.