This inspection took place on 12 and 13 April 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider 24 hours' notice as this is a small service and the people are often out all day. We needed to be sure someone would be in. We last inspected the service in April 2014. At that inspection we found the service was compliant with the essential standards we inspected.Waymead Short Term Care is a care home without nursing. The service offers short term respite care to people with learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder in the Bracknell area. Although registered for up to 10 people, the maximum number of people accommodated overnight at any one time is five. Each of the people who use the service have their own respite care package. The care packages differ for each individual person and depend on the way they want to use the service and the support they require. For example, some people may stay at the service one night per week, every week. Other people may stay for a weekend, once a month. The total number of people using the service throughout the year at the time of this inspection was 28.
The service had a registered manager who became registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 November 2015. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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 and associated regulations about how the service is run. On the days of our inspection the registered manager was on leave. We were assisted during the inspection by the provider's head of service for people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder and the new deputy manager.
People told us they felt safe staying at the home. Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents, and were supported to do so.
People and their relatives told us staff were available when they needed them and staff knew how people liked things done. Staffing levels and skill mixes were planned, reviewed and implemented to ensure there were enough staff to meet people's needs. The system used took into account the specific people staying at the service at any one time.
People were protected from staff who were not suitable to work with them. We found some recruitment checks had not been fully completed for all staff and agency staff employed to work at the service. However, this was rectified by the head of service and deputy manager before the end of the inspection. A new final check system was being developed for use at the home before any new staff were employed.
People were encouraged to do things for themselves and staff helped them to be as independent as they could be. Risk assessments were person-centred, proportionate and reviewed. Staff recognised and responded to changes in risks to people who use the service. There were contingency plans in place to respond to emergencies.
People received effective personal care and support from staff who knew them well and were well trained and supervised. People received support that was individualised to their personal preferences and needs. Their needs were monitored and care plans reviewed with them and/or their main carers prior to each stay at the service.
Medicines were stored and handled correctly and safely. Meals were nutritious and varied and people told us they enjoyed the food at the service.
People's rights to make their own decisions, where possible, were protected and staff were aware of their responsibilities to ensure people's rights to make their own decisions were promoted.
People were treated with care and kindness. During our inspection the atmosphere at the service was calm and happy. People were busy going about their daily lives, with staff support where needed to assist them getting to their day time activities. People's wellbeing was protected and all interactions observed between staff and people staying at the service were respectful and friendly.
People benefitted from staying at a service that had an open and friendly culture. People and relatives felt staff were happy working at the service and had a good relationship with them. Staff told us the management was open with them and communicated what was happening at the service and with the people living there. People and relatives felt the service was managed well and that they could approach management and staff with any concerns.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. The provider had not ensured that the premises were safe to use for their intended purpose. Measures designed to make sure people were safe from the risks of legionella had not been fully implemented. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.