Archived: Little Smugglers Barn

Updated 31 March 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 the 24 February 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hour’s notice because the service had four people living there, we wanted to be sure that someone would be in to speak with us.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an expert by experience with experience in learning disabilities. The expert was accompanied by their support worker. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we checked the information that we held about the service and the service provider. This included previous inspection reports and statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection.

During our inspection we spoke with three people who lived at Little Smugglers Barn, one team leader, two support workers and the registered manager. We observed care and support in the communal areas during the day. We also spent time observing people at lunchtime.

We reviewed a range of records about people’s care and how the service was managed. These included the care records for five people, medicine administration record (MAR) sheets, five staff training records, support and employment records, quality assurance audits, audits and incident reports and other records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection we spoke with one relative of someone who lived at the service and one health care professional who worked with the service. This enabled us to gain their feedback and they consented to have the feedback included in the report.

The service was last inspected on 25th November 2013 with no concerns.

Updated 31 March 2015

The inspection took place on the 24 February 2015 and was announced. Forty eight hours notice of the inspection was given to ensure that the people we needed to speak to were available

Little Smugglers Barn is a care home for a maximum of five adults with a learning disability and complex needs including mental health, challenging behaviour and epilepsy.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

The experiences of people were positive. People told us they felt safe living at the home. Staff supported them to live independently and helped with their living skills and self care. Staff showed a great understanding about their needs. People were encouraged and supported in daily activities such as going shopping and cooking their own food.

People had access to and could choose suitable educational, leisure and social activities in line with their individual interests and hobbies. These included day trips and attending a local social club.

People’s needs were assessed and care plans were developed to identify what care and support they required. Staff worked with healthcare professionals such as doctors and psychiatrists to obtain specialist advice to ensure people received the care and treatment they needed. People were supported to live as independently as possible.

Residents and staff meetings regularly took place which provided an opportunity for staff and people to feedback on the quality of the service. Staff and people told us they liked the regular meetings. Feedback was sought on a daily basis; the home accommodated five people and this meant they could communicate to the staff throughout the day and raise any concerns if needed. Feedback was also sought on an annual basis via a survey for people and staff.

Staff were aware of their responsibility to protect people from harm or abuse and knew what action to take if they were concerned. They told us they were confident to use the procedures to raise concerns.

We saw there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. People were supported on a one to one basis. Staff were kind, attentive and patient when supporting people and treated them with respect. Staff spent time with people and were present in communal areas.

There were systems in place to regularly audit the quality and safety of the service, which were carried out by the homes management team and also a provider’s representative to provide management support to the registered manager.

There was an open and vibrant working atmosphere at the service. People, staff and relatives all said they found the management team approachable and professional.