10 January 2017
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place between 10 and 12 January 2017. The inspection was announced. At the time of our inspection 48 people were receiving support from the service. 36 people were being cared for under the regulated activities of personal care and treatment of disease disorder or injury (TDDI). The people receiving care included children, adults and older people who experienced a range of healthcare needs.
The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with 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.
People’s needs were assessed and planned for in a structured way. Any potential risks to people and staff, including environmental risks were identified before any new services were started. This helped ensure risks were minimised.
Staff understood how to report concerns about potential abuse and when it had been needed, the registered manager and staff took action to keep people safe from harm. Care plans were in place which helped inform staff about individual care needs and any potential risks to people’s health and wellbeing.
Staff were recruited safely and there was an on-going recruitment programme in place which was used by the provider to maintain staffing at the levels they had identified as needed.
Staff undertook training in a range of of subjects relevant to the care needs of the people they supported. The training was used to maintain and develop their existing skills. Staff worked together in a co-ordinated way and were provided with regular support and supervision including direct observation of their care practice by the registered manager and senior staff.
CQC is required by law to monitor how a provider applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and to report on what we find. The registered manager and staff had received training in this area and if people lacked capacity to make their own decisions the principles of the MCA and codes of practice were followed in order to protect people’s rights.
People who needed staff assistance to take their medicines were supported to do this and staff assisted people to eat and drink enough to keep them healthy whenever this type of support was required.
Staff were caring and they worked in ways which helped people and their families to maintain their community interests and social lives.
The provider and registered manager listened to what people had to say and took action to resolve issues or concerns when they were raised with them. There were systems in place for handling and resolving concerns and more formal complaints.
The provider had a range of quality monitoring systems in place which included audits, reviews and surveys. These were used by the registered manager to organise and manage the service in a structured way.
The provider and manager regularly reviewed and reflected on the systems they had in place to manage the service. When action was needed they responded in ways which enabled them to keep developing and improving practices for the future.