The Red House

The Red House is a 'care home' which can accommodate up to seven people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection visit there were four people using the service.

People's experience of using this service and what we found.

The service was following its maintenance and repair plan to ensure people were living in a safe and suitable environment.

We were assured the service was following safe infection prevention and control procedures to keep people safe.

We found several examples of good infection control practices. These included; Regular testing for people using the service and staff. The service was proactive in arranging extra testing for staff where it was felt they may have been at risk of infection. Regular audits ensured the service was prepared to continue to meet the challenges of the pandemic and regular cleaning was in place to help to prevent the spread of infection.

Why we inspected

We undertook this targeted inspection to check on a specific concern we had about the maintenance of the care home environment. The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains Good.

CQC have introduced targeted inspections to follow up on Warning Notices or to check specific concerns. They do not look at an entire key question, only the part of the key question we are specifically concerned about. Targeted inspections do not change the rating from the previous inspection. This is because they do not assess all areas of a key question.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the

service can respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Please see the safe section of this full report. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for The Red House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

The Red House 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. The Red House accommodates seven people in one shared house and provides a service for people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection visit there were six people using the service.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service continues to be rated ‘Good’.

The Red House had a registered manager in post. 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 protected from harm and abuse through the knowledge of staff and management. Appropriate action had been taken by the service when allegations of abuse were made. Risks in respect of people's daily lives or their specific health needs were assessed and appropriately managed with plans in place to reduce or eliminate those risks. Sufficient staff were deployed and robust staff recruitment procedures were in place. The care home was clean and had been well maintained.

Effective quality monitoring systems were in operation to promptly identify shortfalls and drive improvements. The registered manager was approachable to people using the service, their representatives and staff.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The Red House is a care home without nursing for up to seven people with learning disabilities. People who use the service may have additional needs and present behaviours which can be perceived as challenging. It is a detached property in a residential area with local amenities nearby. There were six people using the service at the time of the inspection.

There was a registered manager working at The Red House. They told us they had been working for the provider for the last year. 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.’

The service was safe. People were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff had received safeguarding training and had a policy and procedure which advised them what to do if they had any concerns. Risks had been identified to people’s well-being and steps taken to minimise these whilst encouraging their independence. Staff demonstrated an understanding of the risks posed to people and followed their risk assessments to keep people safe. There were safe and effective recruitment systems in place. Staffing levels were sufficient; people received high levels of support with a member of staff being allocated to support them. Medicines were administered safely and people received their medicines as prescribed.

The service provided to people was effective in meeting their needs. Staff had the relevant skills and had received appropriate training to enable them to support the people living at The Red House. Staff received good support from management through regular supervisions and appraisals. People were encouraged to make day to day decisions about their life. For more complex decisions and where people did not have the capacity to consent, the staff had acted in accordance with legal requirements. People and relevant professionals were involved in planning their nutritional support. People had access to a variety of healthcare professionals and appointments were arranged as required.

The service was responsive to the needs of people. People and their families were provided with opportunities to express their needs, wishes and preferences regarding how they lived their daily lives. People’s needs were regularly assessed and care plans provided guidance to staff on how people were to be supported. The planning of people’s care, treatment and support was personalised to reflect people’s preferences and personalities. People were supported to access and attend a range of activities. People were supported by the staff to use the local community facilities and had been supported to develop skills which promoted their independence. Where complaints had been made, there was evidence these had been managed appropriately.

The service was well-led. The registered manager and senior staff were approachable. Quality and safety monitoring systems were in place and these were effective in identifying shortfalls within the service and drive improvement. The views of relatives and people living at The Red House were taken into account to improve the service.