9 January 2017
During a routine inspection
The home required 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. There was a registered manager in place who had been in post since April 2011.
We saw that all of the communal internal and external areas in the home appeared bright and welcoming and the manager informed us that there was an on-going process of implementing improvements the home and we saw an improvement in the systems that had been prioritised.
We found that the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS) 2009 legislation had been adhered to in the home. The manager told us of the people at the home who lacked capacity and found that the appropriate Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) applications had been submitted to the Local Authority in relation to people’s care.
The people living in the home were able to express themselves through residents meeting and monthly keyworker meetings. People were able to choose the way they spent their day. They were taken to activities outside the home and encouraged to keep family connections by visiting family where possible.
People had access to sufficient quantities of nutritious food and drink throughout the day and were given suitable menu choices at each mealtime, these options had been chosen by the people who lived at Cleveland House. Lunchtimes were sociable and pleasant.
We found that staff were well trained and supported. They were able to demonstrate skill and competency in their knowledge about autism and the support people required. The people who lived at the home were clearly happy with the support that staff gave them and there was a good rapport between them.
We checked the medication cabinets which was stored in a clinic room. We saw that medication was given as directed and stored appropriately. We talked with staff who were able to demonstrate their knowledge of safeguarding and were able to tell us how to report abuse.
Each of the people’s living areas had been personalised by the people who lived in them and those who were able were able to lock their bedroom doors, choose who entered their rooms and go in and out of the front door freely.
Care records, risk assessments, staff records and other documents relating to the running of the home were up-to-date. Each person living at the home had a personalised care plan and risk assessment.
We found that recruitment practices were in place which included the completion of pre-employment checks prior to a new member of staff working at the service. Staff received regular training and supervision to enable them to work safely and effectively.