5 August 2021
During a routine inspection
About the service
Station Road provides personal care and support to people with a learning disability or autism living in supported living accommodation. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting seven people.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The manager had recently commenced at the location. Communication between the manager and staff was good, but communication with the inspector was not so. We had to repeatedly ask for information to corroborate our inspection findings.
Systems to monitor the quality of the service were in place but not wholly effective with the running of the service.
Most risks were assessed and updated regularly. Personal evacuation plans in people’s support plans were not fully inclusive of people’s needs. People were supported to have their medicines in the right way and at the right time.
People were supported to be safe and protected from discrimination. Safety was a high priority for managers and staff, systems and processes to identify risk or potential abuse were robust. People’s freedom was respected, and they were supported to be as independent as they could be.
There were enough staff with the right skills to meet people’s needs and support them to stay safe. People liked the staff and had confidence in them to develop as individuals within 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.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, 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 providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.
Right support: The model of care and how that is based in people’s own flat which maximises people’s choice, control and independence over their lives.
Right care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights.
Right culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the provider is clearly stated in the vision and values documents and the Statement of Purpose. They explain to people the level of service they can expect and ensure care staff promote people using services to lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.
People were supported in a person-centred way. The overall culture of the service was empowering and inclusive. Staff promoted people’s human rights and protected people’s privacy and dignity. People and where required people’s relatives were consulted and included in decisions about their care and support and about the development of the service.
Staff knew how to communicate with people effectively and understood people’s needs well. People led independent lives and were empowered take part in the running and development of the service.
There was a clear organisational structure and staff understood their responsibilities. People, staff and relatives told us the senior managers were supportive, approachable and accessible.
Rating at last inspection
This is the first rating inspection for this service.
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the management of infection control at Thomas Edward Mitton House. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks and complete the first rating inspection for Station Road as well.
Enforcement
We have identified a breach in relation to Regulation 17 (Good Governance) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 at this inspection.
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.
About the service
Thomas Edward Mitton House is a rehabilitation service for up to 16 people who have an acquired brain injury. At the time of inspection, the service was providing accommodation and personal care to 11 people at the service. The home is a purpose-built rehabilitation facility with 16 en-suite rooms all on the ground floor.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Risks were identified and mitigated through comprehensive risk assessments. The diverse staff team were experienced with a varying skill mix benefiting the individual rehabilitation needs of people. Medicines were stored and administered safely. Infection control procedures were in place and all staff were aware of these. When incidents occurred, the staff learned lessons through investigation procedures and made amendments where necessary.
The staff team were trained and skilled in relation to the needs of the people living there. People were asked for their consent when being supported by staff. 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. People are involved in the development of the menu, meals were nutritious as well as varied.
People and their relatives were included to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their care. The registered manager and the staff team were caring, ensuring they put people at the centre of their care. Staff respected people’s dignity and privacy.
Care was personalised with a focus on the individual needs and goals of the people living at Thomas Edward Mitton House. While no-one was receiving end of life care there were end of life care plans in place. The complaints and compliments procedure was displayed and discussed with people, all complaints had been responded to and actioned appropriately.
There were quality assurance systems and processes in place to ensure the service was meeting its designated purpose. The registered manager led from within the team, setting out the person-centred nature of the service. The staff worked effectively with healthcare professionals from the internal staff group and greater health community in meeting the needs of people living in the service.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 18 May 2018).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the management infection control at Thomas Edward Mitton House. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
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.