Castle Lane

Updated 23 May 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.

This inspection took place on 27 March 2019.

Inspection team:

There was one inspector in the inspection team.

Service and service type: 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 unannounced

What we did:

During our inspection we spoke to two people who lived at the service. We used different methods to gather other people’s experiences of what it was like to live at the service, such as observations of staff interaction with people living at the home.

We looked at records relating to the management of the service such as the care plans for one person, incident records, medicine management, staff meeting minutes and quality assurance records.

Updated 23 May 2019

About the service: This service supported people with learning disabilities. It was registered for the support of up to three people. Three people were using the service at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

People enjoyed living at Castle Lane and felt safe. People felt staff knew them well and understood how to support them to stay safe. Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse.

• Staff recognised the risks to people's health, safety and well-being and how to support them by minimising the risk of harm.

• People had access to support from sufficient staff when needed.

• Staff recruitment processes were managed centrally by the registered provider and included a check of their background to review staff suitability to work at the home.

• People that required support with their medicines received this. Regular checks were undertaken to ensure people received the correct support by staff who were competent to help them.

• The home was clean and odour free and people were supported to keep their home tidy.

• The registered manager ensured people's care was based on best practice. Training for staff was continually reviewed to ensure it met people's needs.

• Guidance on people's needs was also shared through supervision and staff meetings.

• People were offered choices at mealtimes and encouraged to have a healthy lifestyle.

• People accessed support from a variety of healthcare professionals.

• People were treated with dignity and respect and their independence was promoted.

• People were involved in planning their care with support from staff.

• Staff supported people to enjoy a range of activities which reflected people's individual interests and levels of independence. People were encouraged to speak with staff and discuss and plan their care needs.

• People knew how to complain if they wanted to but did not have any complaints. Staff regularly spoke with people to ensure they were happy with their care. Systems were in place to take any learning from any complaints made.

• Staff enjoyed working at the home and spoke positively about the support and guidance received at the home.

• Staff worked together with the registered manager to ensure people's care was continually monitored, reviewed and reflected changing needs.

• The registered manager worked with stakeholders such as the college so people achieved their personal goals.

• The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways; promotion of choice and control, independence, 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: Good. The last report for Castle Lane was published on 17 March 2016.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service remained rated Good overall.

•We found the service met the characteristics of a “Good” rating in all areas; For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk