We inspected Croham Place on 23 June 2016. The inspection was carried out by an inspector, a specialist advisor and an expert by experience. The inspection was unannounced .Croham Place is a care home that is registered to provide personal care and nursing for up to 23 adults who have a range of complex needs. The service is divided into three separate units. The largest is The Manor which is a home for 14 physically disabled adults with complex care needs requiring nursing intervention. The Beeches is a house for seven men with acquired brain injuries (ABI) and behaviours that may challenge others. The Nightingales is a bungalow shared by two people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).
At our inspection in May 2015, we found breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to how the provider supported staff, met people’s needs and managed the service. We asked the provider to tell us how and when they would make the required improvements. These actions have now been completed.
During this inspection we found that the provider was meeting the regulations in relation to how it supported staff, met people’s needs and managed the service.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 about how the service is run.
People were cared for by a sufficient number of staff. However, there was a shortage of permanent employed staff so the provider used agency staff to fill the gaps in staffing. The agency staff did not have the required knowledge to help keep people safe.
People told us they were safe. This was also the view of their relatives. People were protected from avoidable harm. Staff were supported by the provider to deliver effective care through relevant training, supervision and appraisal.
People received their medicines safely because there were appropriate procedures in place for ordering, storing, administering and recording medicines which were consistently followed by suitably qualified staff.
People received the help they needed to maintain good health and had access to a variety of healthcare professionals. Employed staff understood the relevant requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how it applied to people in their care.
People were protected from the risk and spread of infection because staff understood their responsibilities in relation to infection control and followed the procedures in place. All areas of the home were clean and well maintained. The premises were of a suitable layout and design for the people living there. Equipment was regularly service and well maintained.
People were satisfied with the quality and quantity of food they received. People were treated with respect, compassion and kindness by staff. They were involved in making decisions about their care and where appropriate, their relatives were also involved.
People were encouraged and supported to be as independent as they wanted to be. People had the opportunity to participate in activities within the home and were supported to access the community.
People knew how to make a complaint and felt able to do so if the need arose. People were willing to express their views on the care they received and had their comments listened to and acted on.
We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to there being a lack of staff knowledge on how to protect people from the risk of abuse.
You can see the action we have asked the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.