10 March 2016
During a routine inspection
The last inspection of this service was carried out on 26 April 2014. The service met the regulations we inspected against at that time.
Greenbank is a large detached family house set in a residential area near local shops and transport. The service is registered for five places and there were five people living there when we visited. The home does not provide nursing care.
There was a registered manager for the service. 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.
People told us they “liked” their home. They felt comfortable with the staff who supported them. Staff were clear about how to recognise and report any suspicions of abuse. They told us they were confident that any concerns would be listened to and investigated to make sure people were protected.
There were enough staff to assist people in the house in a safe way and to support people to go out to activities in the community. The recruitment of staff included the right checks and clearances so only suitable staff were employed.
Potential risks to people’s safety were assessed and managed. People’s medicines were managed in a safe way, although it would be better if checks were kept of the temperature of the room where medicines were stored.
Staff had training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 for people who lacked capacity to make a decision and deprivation of liberty safeguards to make sure they were not restricted unnecessarily. Staff asked for permission before carrying out care tasks. People told us they made their own choices about their daytime routines.
People told us they “liked” staff. We saw people actively sought out staff members to spend time with and chat about their day and plans for the next day. Staff spoke about people in a valuing and positive way, and supported them to play an active part in their local community. For example, people used local shops and pubs. One staff member commented, “I love going with them to the local [social] club. They have such a great time.”
People were supported to access healthcare services, such as GPs and physiotherapists when they needed these. People were fully involved in planning their menus and preparing meals. Each person’s nutritional well-being was assessed. They were encouraged to enjoy a healthy diet, but staff understood people could make their own choices about this.
People’s care was planned to make sure they got the right support to meet their individual needs. People enjoyed a range of vocational activities outside of the home. Two people did voluntary work and staff also helped people to find activities in the local community that they might be interested in.
People had information about how to make a complaint or comment. During this inspection a complaint about the service was raised. This was shared with the provider who carried out a comprehensive investigation and reported the findings back to the complainant.
People and staff had opportunities to comment on the service at any time as well as at regular meetings. Staff felt the organisation was run in the best interests of the people who lived there. The provider had a quality assurance system to check the quality and safety of the service provided.