26 St Barnabas Road

Updated 30 April 2022

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.

As part of CQC's response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place.

We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 19 April 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 5 days' notice of the inspection.

Updated 30 April 2022

About the service

26 St Barnabas Road is a residential care home providing personal care to six people with a diagnosis of learning disabilities and associated health needs at the time of the inspection. The service can support a maximum of six people. It offers bedrooms and communal space over two floors. The ground floor homes three bedrooms, a purpose built wet room, a smoke room, communal dining room and lounge with fully accessible gardens and kitchen. The second floor accommodates a further three bedrooms, a staff sleep in room and a communal bathroom.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service was designed so to ensure there were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

People received safe care and treatment. Risks were appropriately recorded and assessed highlighting when the risk was most likely to occur, and what action to take to prevent the risk from occurring. Details were also written on what action to take should the risk occur. These were reviewed on a regular basis. People were kept at the forefront of each risk assessment, ensuring their desire to complete activities or tasks was not minimised as a result of an identified risk. Staff received training and had a comprehensive understanding of their duty of care to keep people safe from risk of harm and abuse. Staff were able to identify what action they would take including blowing the whistle.

The provider reinforced the importance of retaining people’s safety by creating a dedicated hotline for whistle-blowing. We found that medicines were administered safely, with records demonstrating people received their medicines in line with their prescription and best practice guidelines. Staff medication training and competencies were up to date. Required learning was identified from accidents and near misses, with a trigger analysis being completed as required by the provider. Staff files although noted some items missing, including gaps in employment and full working history, these were rectified to meet the legal requirements.

People were encouraged to be involved in the writing and reviewing of their health and social care needs. Staff were trained and supported to ensure they had the necessary knowledge and support to safely and effectively care for people using the service. Where required specialist external input was sought, and people’s needs were met.

The staff and people had a positive relationship which was built on trust and compassion. People were treated with respect and dignity. Their abilities were celebrated and everyone was treated as equal. Activities were designed around people’s preferences and encouraged integration in the community.

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 service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. Care plans were reflective of this and key worker sessions clearly documented the drive to achieve choice and independence for all people using the service.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (report published on 21 March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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