Archived: The Wishing Well

Updated 28 June 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 inspection took place on 16 May and 1 June 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides care and support for adults who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Prior to this inspection we liaised with the local authority and reviewed information held about the service. We reviewed statutory notifications we had received from the service. Providers are required to notify us about events and incidents that occur in the home including deaths, serious injuries sustained and safeguarding matters.

During this inspection we spoke with two people living in the home and relatives of two people. We also spoke with three staff members, the manager and the operations manager.

We made general observations of the care and support people received at the service. We looked at the medication records of two people living in the home and care records for three. We viewed records relating to staff recruitment as well as staff training and supervision records. We also reviewed a range of maintenance records and documentation monitoring the quality of the service.

Updated 28 June 2017

This inspection took place on 16 May and 1 June 2017 and was announced in advance.

The Wishing Well is one of eight small services operated by the provider which provide support and accommodation for people living with a learning disability. The service can accommodate up to six people. At the time of this inspection five people were living in the home.

There was no registered manager in post at the time of this inspection. 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.

At our previous inspection in March 2016 we found that the provider was in breach of one regulation of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014 which related to the safety of recruitment processes. At this May and June 2017 inspection we found that improvements had been made and that robust systems were in place and being followed. This meant that the risks of employing people unsuitable for their role had been minimised. Consequently, the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.

People living in the home were safe. Risks to their welfare were appropriately planned for and managed. Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding issues and what action they would need to take in the event any concerns arose. There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs. Staffing arrangements were determined by people’s needs and how they chose to spend their time. On the whole people’s medicines were managed appropriately, but a few minor discrepancies were found.

Staff received suitable and regular training and support. Specific training to enable staff to meet people’s individual health needs was arranged if required. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People received appropriate support to maintain healthy nutrition and hydration and had access to healthcare professionals when necessary.

Staff were kind, caring and respected people’s right to privacy. People were enabled to live as independently as possible.

People received personalised care that met their individual needs and preferences. They were able to follow their individual interests and enjoyed a variety of activities and outings outside of the home. We saw that people were able to speak up when they there unhappy about something and staff responded appropriately. Relatives told us they knew how to complain and felt that they would be listened to.

The was a culture of openness in the service. Staff were valued and worked well together. We received positive comments about the leadership of the service. A robust quality assurance system was in place.

The service had been without a registered manager for over 18 months and had seen four changes of manager since the last registered manager had been in post. The provider needed to ensure that post holders applied for registration when they took up their role.