Gascoigne Road Care Home

Updated 9 March 2019

The inspection:

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

This service is a care home for people with learning disabilities and is registered to accommodate up to 12 people. 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. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection was carried out on 19 February 2019 and was unannounced. This means the home was not aware we were coming to inspect them.

What we did:

Before the inspection, we reviewed relevant information that we had about the service including any notifications of safeguarding or incidents affecting the safety and wellbeing of people. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We also checked the last inspection report.

We requested the service completes a Provider Information Return (PIR). A PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what it does well and any improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with the head of learning disabilities, the registered manager, a unit coordinator, four staff, four people and two relatives.

We looked at the care records of three people who used the service. The management of medicines, staff training records, staff files, as well as a range of records relating to the running of the service. This included audits, premises safety checks, complaints and care plans.

Updated 9 March 2019

About the service:

Gascoigne Road Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to 10 people, at the time of the inspection.

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.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People and staff were positive about the management and the service. However, the service was rated ‘requires improvement for ‘well led’ at this inspection. There was not an effective system in place to monitor training and to obtain people’s feedback on the running of the home regularly.

• We also found that staff references had not been recorded to evidence that references had been sought and received. We made a recommendation in this area.

• People continued to receive a safe service.

• Risks associated with people’s needs had been assessed.

• There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs.

• Medicines were being managed safely.

• Staff had the knowledge and received the support they required to meet people’s individual needs.

• People were supported with their nutritional needs and had choices with meals.

• The staff worked well with external health care professionals and people were supported with their needs and accessed health services when required.

• People continued to receive care from staff who were kind and compassionate. Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy.

• Staff had developed positive relationships with the people they supported. They understood people’s needs, preferences, and what was important to them.

• People’s independence was promoted and their privacy and dignity was respected.

• Care plans were person centred and detailed people’s support needs.

• People received opportunities to pursue their interests and hobbies, and social activities were offered.

• The service met the characteristics for a rating of ‘Good’ in all but one of the key questions we inspected. Therefore, our overall rating for the service after this inspection was ‘Good’.

• More information is in our full report.

Rating at last inspection:

• At the last inspection on 26 June 2016 the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’. However, the rating for Well-Led had deteriorated to ‘Requires Improvement’.

Why we inspected:

• This was a planned inspection based on the rating of the last inspection.

Follow up:

• We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned for future dates.