4 Cottage Walk

Updated 1 October 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

4 Cottage Walk is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. 4 Cottage Walk is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager who was also a regional manager and had oversight of a number of services. 4 Cottage Walk had a manager on-site who was also the manager of another nearby Achieve Together location. They had submitted an application to be registered as manager with the Care Quality Commission for both locations.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 3 August 2022 and ended on 24 August 2022. We visited the location’s service on 3 August 2022 and 12 August 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. We received a Provider Information Return (PIR) from the service. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information received into our system for ongoing monitoring of the service. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who used the service and spent time observing people and the care they received.

We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 1 October 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

4 Cottage Walk is a residential care home providing personal care and support for up to six people with a learning disability or autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were five people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support:

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

• The staff team supported people to have choice, control and independence.

• Management and staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do.

• The staff team supported people to identify their goals and to work towards these.

• The manager and staff team worked with people to plan for when they experienced periods of distress, so that their freedoms were restricted only if there was no alternative.

• The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs.

• Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area.

• Staff enabled people to access specialist health and social care support in the community.

• The staff team supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence.

Right Care:

• People received kind and compassionate care, staff members were observed positively engaging and supporting people.

• The staff team understood and responded to the individual needs of the people they supported.

• Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.

• People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs.

• People could take part in activities and pursue interests that were tailored to them.

• The manager and staff team assessed risks people might face and acted to mitigate these.

Right Culture:

• The manager and staff team helped people lead inclusive and empowered lives.

• The manager had made an application to the Care Quality Commission to be registered as manager. The current registered manager was regional manager with responsibility for oversight of a number of services.

• Staff felt supported by the manager and by the provider.

• The staff team knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing.

• Staff evaluated the quality of support provided to people, involving the person, their families and other professionals as appropriate.

• The needs and safety of people formed the basis of the culture at the service. The staff team understood their role in making sure people are always put first. They provided care that was person centred.

• There was a clear learning culture.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 1 December 2020 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good (published 3 March 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.