Archived: 231 Brook Lane

Updated 18 December 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, 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 3 and 4 December 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Before this inspection, we asked the registered provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. The registered manager completed the PIR. We used this information to help with the planning for this inspection and to support our judgements.

We also reviewed the information we held about the service, which included correspondence we had received and any notifications submitted to us by the service. Statutory notifications are information the registered provider is legally required to send us about significant events that happen within the service.

People living at the home were not able to verbally communicate their views with us or answer our direct questions. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection [SOFI]. SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, the area regional director and three members of staff.

Following our inspection, we contacted the relatives of three people living at the home by telephone and one health and social care professional to seek additional feedback on the delivery of care and support at 231 Brook Lane.

We looked at the provider's records. These included four people's care records, four staff files, training and supervision records, a sample of audits, satisfaction surveys, staff attendance rosters, and policies and procedures.

We spent time observing the daily life in the service including the care and support being delivered by all staff. We also checked the building to ensure it was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to live.

We last inspected the service in September 2016 and rated the service as Good.

Updated 18 December 2018

This inspection visit took place on the 3 and 4 December 2018 and was unannounced.

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 ongoing 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.

231 Brook Lane is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission [CQC] regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The home is registered to provide care and support for 10 younger adults with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder and or sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection six people were living at the home. Due to people’s complex health needs we were not able to verbally seek people’s views on the care and support they received.

There was 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.

The service followed the principles and values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance for people with a learning disability living in a care home environment. 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.

Staff understood what it meant to protect people from abuse. They told us they were confident any concerns they raised would be taken seriously by the management team.

Medicines were stored safely and securely. Procedures were in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

The service had robust recruitment procedures to make sure staff had the required skills and were of suitable character and background.

Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The registered provider’s policies and systems supported this practice.

People’s privacy and dignity was respected and promoted. Staff understood how to support people in a sensitive way, while promoting their independence.

There was a range of activities available to people living at 231 Brook Lane.

People’s care records reflected the person’s current health and social care needs. Care records contained up to date risk assessments. There were systems in place for care records to be regularly reviewed.

There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Safety and maintenance checks for the premises and equipment were in place and up to date.

Relatives and staff told us the registered manager was supportive and approachable.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.