3 The Droveway

Updated 21 December 2023

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

Two inspectors carried out the inspection

Service and service type

3 The Droveway is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration with CQC. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke or communicated with two people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. People who were unable to talk with us used different ways of communicating including photos, symbols, objects and their body language. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager and support workers.

We spent time observing the support and communication between people and staff in shared areas of the house. 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.

Two health professionals who visit the service regularly also provided feedback during this inspection.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three 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.

Updated 21 December 2023

About the service

3 The Droveway is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 6 adults with physical and learning disabilities and/or a variety of associated health and support needs. At the time of inspection, the service was supporting 6 people. People lived in one large single storey house.

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

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.

Right Support: Relatives and health professionals told us staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area. A health professional told us how, “Staff support residents well and are aware of their complex and varied needs”.

The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and generally well-maintained environment. This met their sensory and physical needs, while making it feel homely.

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.

Right Care: People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs with genuine regard for the person. A relative said, “We are totally happy about the way [person] is looked after, the staff are very caring and the manager is extremely caring.”

People received care that supported their needs and aspirations, was focused on their quality of life, and followed best practice. The registered manager told us of their plans to work with staff to further develop knowledge and awareness of supporting people to maximise goals and how to evidence progress towards them.

Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.

Right Culture: Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. The registered manager and staff understood the importance of family to the people and make communication a priority. A relative said, “I can just pop in, always made to feel welcome.”

People and those important to them, were involved in planning their care. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. We saw that staff fully involved people in activities and tasks of their choosing. People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 27 September 2017.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of right support, right care, right culture. This was a planned inspection following registration with the current provider.

Follow up

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