Glebe Cottage

Updated 15 August 2018

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.

This comprehensive inspection took place on the 5 and 6 July 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection as the service is small and we needed to ensure that staff were available to support the inspection. We made telephone calls to relatives of people who were unable to talk with us on the 5 July. We visited the service to meet people who used the service, the registered manager and staff and review records on the 6 July.

The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

On this occasion, we had not asked the provider to send us a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. However, we offered the provider the opportunity to share information they felt relevant with us.

We reviewed the provider’s statement of purpose and the notifications we had been sent. A statement of purpose is a document which includes a standard required set of information about a service. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that providers must tell us about.

We contacted Healthwatch and asked whether they had received any feedback about the service Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion for people who use health and social care services. We also contacted commissioners and asked them for their views about the service. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services for people.

During this inspection, we spoke with three people who used the service and spoke with four people’s relatives. We spoke with six members of staff, including the nominated individual, registered manager, a service manager, a co-ordinator and support workers. We looked at three records relating to the personal care and support of people using the service. We also looked at four staff recruitment records and other information related to the management oversight and governance of the service. This included quality assurance audits, staff training and supervision information, staffing rotas and the arrangements for managing complaints.

Updated 15 August 2018

This announced inspection took place on 5 and 6 July 2018.

Glebe Cottage is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Glebe Cottage provides supported weekend breaks and short breaks to people with learning disabilities; it is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for three people. At the time of the inspection there were eleven people regularly accessing the service for short stays.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and complex needs using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At our last inspection on the 21 January 2016, we rated the service "Good." At this inspection, we found the evidence continued to support the rating of 'Good' and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on- going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the polices and systems in the service supported this practice. People were encouraged to make decisions about their care, daily routines and preferences. Staff worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and there was documentation to support this.

People told us that they felt comfortable and safe when staying at Glebe Cottage. Relatives agreed their family members were supported in a safe way by staff. Staff understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from harm and to report potential risks to their safety.

People received their medicines as prescribed and staff supported people to access support from healthcare professionals when required. The service worked with other organisations to ensure that people received coordinated and person-centred care and support.

Staff recruitment procedures ensured that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out to ensure only suitable staff worked at the service. Staffing levels ensured that people's care and support needs were safely met.

Effective systems and checks were in place to ensure the premises were safe. Staff told us they had the appropriate personal protective equipment to perform their roles safely. Staff supported people in a way which prevented the spread of infection.

Some communal areas of the house were in need of refurbishment and re-decoration. A plan of refurbishment was in place and some areas had been completed. The provider needs to ensure that all areas are completed in a timely manner.

People's needs were assessed prior to them receiving the service to ensure that staff were able to fully meet their needs. The staff were skilled, knowledgeable and experienced and had the necessary training to enable them to carry out their roles.

People were supported to choose their meals and staff encouraged people to have a healthy balanced diet while staying at Glebe Cottage.

The culture of the service was caring, person centred and inclusive. Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and wishes. Staff encouraged people to follow their interests and many outings and activities took place while people were staying at the service.

There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. People that used the service and their relatives had the opportunity to comment on the quality of the support and care that was provided. Any required improvements were undertaken in response to such suggestions.

There were arrangements in place for the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong, to improve safety across the service.