Background to this inspection
Updated
17 April 2019
The inspection
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.
Inspection team:
One inspector carried out this inspection.
Service and service type
Mariantonia House 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.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. The registered manager was also the registered provider. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection site visit took place on 27 March 2019 and was unannounced.
What we did:
Before our inspection visit, the provider completed 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. We also reviewed information we held about the service in the form of statutory notifications received from the service and any safeguarding or whistleblowing incidents, which may have occurred. A statutory notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law.
We asked the local authority and Healthwatch for any information they had which would aid our inspection. We used this information as part of our planning. Local authorities together with other agencies may have responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion, which promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care services.
We spoke with six people living at Mariantonia House and one relative. In addition, we spoke with the registered manager, the administrator and one support worker.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care and medication records. We confirmed the safe recruitment of one staff member and reviewed records relating to the provider's quality monitoring, health and safety and staff training.
Updated
17 April 2019
About the service:
Mariantonia House is a residential care home that accommodates up to 13 people living with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, dementia or mental health. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people living at the home.
The care 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 autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.
What life is like for people using this service:
People received safe support with their medicines by competent staff members. The provider had systems in place to respond to any medicine errors. The provider completed regular checks to ensure that people were receiving the right medicine at the right time and people’s medicines were stored correctly.
The provider had systems in place to encourage and respond to any complaints or compliments from people or visitors. The provider, and management team, had good links with the local community which people benefited from.
People received safe care and support as the staff team had been trained to recognise signs of abuse, or risk and understood what to do to safely support people. Staff members followed effective infection prevention and control procedures. When risks to people’s health and welfare were identified, the provider acted to minimise the likelihood of occurrence.
The provider supported staff in providing effective care for people through person-centred care planning, training and supervision. People were promptly referred to additional healthcare services when required. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and had choice regarding food and drink. The environment where people lived was well maintained and suited their individual needs and preferences.
People received help and support from a kind and compassionate staff team with whom they had positive relationships. People were supported by staff members who were aware of their individual protected characteristics like age and gender. People were supported to develop their independence.
People participated in a range of activities that met their individual choices and preferences and that they found interesting and stimulating. People were provided with information in a way that they could understand. Policies and guidelines that were important to people were provided in a format they could easily access.
The provider had systems in place to ensure the Care Quality Commission was notified of significant events in a timely manner and in accordance with their registration. The provider had effective systems to monitor the quality of the service they provided and to drive improvements where needed.
More information in Detailed Findings below.
Rating at last inspection: Good (date last report published 09 June 2016).
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection, ‘Good.’
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor all intelligence received about the service to ensure the next planned inspection is scheduled accordingly.