Background to this inspection
Updated
17 December 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
One inspector visited the service.
Service and service type
7-9 Downing Close is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager who had registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
The inspection visit took place on 2 December 2019 and was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
Prior to the inspection, we looked at the information we held about the service and used this
to help us plan our inspection. This included notifications the provider is required by law to send us about events that happen within the service such as serious injuries . The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people during our visit to gather their views of the service they received. However, other people due to their complex needs could not provide us with this information. Therefore, we used different methods to gather experiences of what it was like to live there. For example, we observed how staff supported people throughout our visit. As part of our observations we also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection tool (SOFI) in a communal area. SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the needs of people who could not talk with us.
We also spoke with the provider’s service manager, two deputy managers, five support workers and an interim care manager.
We reviewed two people's care records to ensure they were reflective of their needs. We looked at three people's medicine administration records. We reviewed records relating to the management of the service such as quality audits and staff training data. We also reviewed two staff files to check staff had been recruited safely.
Following our visit, we received feedback from two people’s relatives and one health professional about the service provided.
Updated
17 December 2019
About the service
7-9 Downing Close is a residential care home providing personal care and accommodation for people with learning disabilities.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence.
The service consisted of three separate domestic style bungalows registered to support up to 10 people. Ten people were using the service during our inspection visit. There were no identifying signs to indicate this was a care home. The bungalows were clean and tidy during our visit and the environment continued to meet people's needs.
People continued to feel safe and they were protected from harm. Risks associated with people's care and support had been assessed and were managed well. Staff were recruited safely and were trained and competent to carry out their roles effectively.
The management of people’s medicines was safe, and people had access to health professionals when required. People's nutrition and hydration needs were met, and the staff team worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to ensure people received effective care.
Staff were caring, and people were treated well. People's right to privacy was respected, their dignity was maintained, and people were encouraged to be independent. People and relatives were treated as active partners in their care.
Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in place supported this practice.
Staff knew people well and provided responsive care in line with their wishes. People's needs had been assessed before they moved into the home to ensure these could be met. People's care records contained the detailed information staff needed to provide personalised care.
People maintained links with people that mattered to them and with their local community. Staff had a good understanding of the way people preferred to communicate and understood what people were communicating through their gestures and behaviours.
People and relatives spoke positively about the leadership of the service. Effective systems monitored and continually improved the quality and safety of the service provided. People and relatives knew how to complain, and lessons were learnt when things had gone wrong.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 22 July 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.