Archived: Dimensions 30 Church Road

Updated 22 August 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. The inspection was planned to check whether the provider was 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.

We visited 30 Church Road on 20 July 2017. The inspection was announced 24 hours in advance because we wanted to make sure we could meet people who used the service. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service and the service provider, including notifications we had received. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service because the people had complex needs, which meant they were not able to tell us their experiences. We obtained feedback from a relative of one person and two external professionals. We spoke with the registered manager and two members of staff. We observed interactions between staff and people using the service.

We looked at a range of documents and written records including people’s care and support plans, risk assessments, staff recruitment and training files. We also looked at information regarding the arrangements for managing complaints and monitoring the quality of the service provided within the home.

This was the first inspection of 30 Church Road since the current provider took over the running of the service in November 2016.

Updated 22 August 2017

30 Church Road is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to four people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder.

We inspected the home on 20 July 2017. The inspection was announced 24 hours in advance because the service was a small care home for younger adults who may be out during the day. There were three people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with 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 was a range of systems in place to assess and monitor the quality and safety of the service and to help ensure people were receiving appropriate support. However, the provider had not managed to drive through improvements to the environment, which required action by the housing provider. Some areas of the home were in need of repair and redecoration and did not promote the dignity of the people living there.

Staff understood how to identify, report and manage any concerns related to people’s safety and welfare. There were systems and processes in place to protect people from harm, including how medicines were managed.

Safe recruitment practices were followed and appropriate checks had been undertaken, which made sure only suitable staff were employed to care for people in the home. Agency staff were being used to maintain sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s current needs.

Staff were supported to provide appropriate care to people because they were trained, supervised and appraised. There was an induction, training and development programme, which supported staff to gain relevant knowledge and skills.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which apply to care homes. Where people’s liberty or freedoms were at risk of being restricted, the proper authorisations were in place.

People and their relatives or representatives were involved in planning the care and support provided by the service. Staff listened to people and understood and respected their needs. Staff reflected people’s wishes and preferences in the way they delivered care. They understood the issues involved in supporting people who had lost capacity to make some decisions.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their needs and to make informed choices about what they ate. Staff ensured people obtained advice and support from other health professionals to maintain and improve their health or when their needs changed.

There was a friendly atmosphere in the home and staff supported people in a kind and caring way that took account of their individual needs and preferences.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and there were systems in place to help ensure any concerns or complaints were responded to appropriately. People were supported to do the things that interested them, maintain relationships and to participate in community activities.

The registered manager demonstrated an open management style and provided leadership to the staff team.