Archived: Drayton Road

Drayton Road is a ‘care home’. 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.

Drayton Road provides accommodation for up to seven people with learning disabilities. It is divided across three floors with one ensuite bedroom, two shared bathrooms, two living room spaces and kitchen facilities. 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.

At the previous inspection on the 9 and 16 March 2017 the service was rated as requires improvement in Safe and Well Led. The service has now made improvements in Well- Led.

The service had a new registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 were kept safe at the service and told us they felt safe at Drayton Road. Staff understood their safeguarding obligations and clear easy read information was provided for people who used the service on safeguarding. Staff were recruited safely at the service and appropriate checks completed to confirm suitability. Staff had been trained in medication but understanding in safely administering certain medicines risked incidents occurring.

People’s care plans were detailed and provided background information about people so staff could get to know them. Risk assessments were present and gave information on how to mitigate risk. People at Drayton Road were supported to take positive risks while avoiding harm in order to live their life freely.

Staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment to protect people from the risk of infection. However areas within Drayton Road was not always cleaned fully.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts and encouraged to make meals independently or with staff support where needed.

The service sought consent before giving care and always encouraged people to make their own decisions where possible. The service worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and had made appropriate applications under the deprivation of liberty safeguards (DOLS).

Staff received training in mandatory areas and specialist training to support them in their role.

There was a robust complaints procedure that ensured people and their relatives knew how to make a complaint. Where incidents had happened, lessons learnt exercises were completed to minimise the risk of them happening again.

People, relatives, staff, and external stakeholders spoke positively of the management of the service. Quality systems were in place to ensure the service was running as it should be and where improvements needed to be made this information was fed back to management and staff.

We have made two recommendations about medicines management and infection control. Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Drayton road is a care home for up to seven people with learning disabilities. It is divided across three floors with shared bathrooms, living and kitchen facilities.

The home has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 told us they felt safe living in the home. Care plans were highly detailed and told staff how people liked to be supported, how to maintain and promote their independence and how to minimise risks. Where people had specific health conditions, or presented with behaviours that were risky there were appropriate risk assessments and care plans in place to ensure staff knew how to keep people safe. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported and knew how to keep them safe from harm.

People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed. Staff had information about people’s medicines and what they were used for. Where people needed to perform health checks before they took their medicines, instructions for staff were clear. We identified an issue with one person’s medicines record during the inspection which the service addressed immediately. We have made a recommendation about managing medicines safely.

The service worked to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and appropriate applications had been made to deprive people of their liberty. People were offered choices and their decisions were respected. People were involved in reviewing and updating their care plans as well as making decisions about the running of the home.

Although care plans were highly detailed they were not in a format that was accessible to the people they related to. We have made a recommendation about making care plans accessible.

People told us they knew how to raise concerns and complaints. The home had a robust complaints policy and there was an easy read version in people’s care files.

People were supported to choose and prepare their meals. Records showed that healthy eating was promoted and encouraged. People were supported to eat and drink enough and maintain a balanced diet.

People had health action plans which included details of their health conditions and the support they needed to meet them. Records showed people were supported to attend health appointments and follow the advice of health professionals.

Staff were recruited in a safe way and the home used regular agency workers to ensure staffing levels were maintained at a safe level. Staff received the training and support they needed to perform their roles.

People and staff spoke highly of the registered manager. The registered manager undertook checks and audits to ensure the quality and safety of the service. The provider did not always respond to issues raised by the registered manager. The management time for the service had been reduced and it was not clear how the management needs of the service had been calculated. We have made a recommendation about management time.