Background to this inspection
Updated
30 December 2016
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.
This unannounced inspection took place on 1 December 2016 and was undertaken by one inspector.
Before the inspection we looked at all the information that we had about the service and used this to inform our planning. This included information from notifications received by us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. Also before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This 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.
Prior to the inspection we made contact with the local health care professionals and the local authority who commission care at the service. This was to help with the planning of the inspection and to gain their views about how people’s care was being provided.
During the inspection we spoke with two people. We also spoke with the business manager, a visiting manager from another of the provider's services, one supervisor and three care staff.
We observed how people were being looked after.
We looked at two people’s care records, medicines administration records and records in relation to the management of staff and the service.
Updated
30 December 2016
Block B, Units 15-28 is a service that supports people to be more independent with their living. It provides accommodation for up to 14 adults who require support with their personal care. It does not provide nursing. At the time of this inspection two people were using the service.
This comprehensive inspection took place on 1 December 2016 and was unannounced.
A registered manager was in post at the time of the inspection and had been registered since September 2015. At the time of our inspection the registered manager was on leave. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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’s needs were assessed and a sufficient number of skilled and competent staff were in place to meet these. An effective recruitment process was in place to ensure that staff were suitable to look after people who used the service.
Staff had the skills they needed to keep people safe and they were aware of those organisations they could report any incident of harm to. People’s medicines were administered and managed safely. Risk assessments had been completed and measures were in place to manage people’s risks.
Staff were provided with training and they had the right skills to meet people’s assessed care needs. People’s nutritional needs were met. People were supported with their health care needs by the most appropriate health professional and the services they provided.
The CQC is required by law to monitor the Mental Capacity Act 2005 [MCA] and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards [DoLS] and to report on what we find. People were able to make decisions with staff support. Staff respected people’s choices and independent living skills. The registered manager had procedures in place to help determine if any person was deemed to lack the mental capacity to make decisions about their care. Staff had a good understanding of the guidance related to the MCA.
Staff provided people’s care with compassion, respect and dignity. People, their relatives or representatives were involved in determining people’s care needs. Information about advocacy was available if this was required.
People were provided various pastimes and activities they could take part in as well as opportunities to help reduce the risk of social isolation. People were supported by staff to be as independent as possible. Regular reviews of people’s care plans were undertaken to help ensure people’s care needs were up-to-date.
People were provided with the means to raise any concerns they may have had about the quality of their care. Corrective action was taken promptly to reduce the risk for any potential recurrence. People’s concerns were recorded and acted upon promptly.
The registered manager was supported by a business manager, senior care staff and care staff. Staff had the support they needed to do their jobs effectively.
Quality assurance procedures and spot checks were in place and these helped to drive improvements in the care that was provided. People’s and their relatives’ views about the quality of the service had been sought.
The registered manager and provider had notified the CQC about events that, by law, they had to tell us about.