About the service: Maple House is a residential care home, registered to provide care and support for up to eight adults with learning disabilities in one adapted building. Eight people were using the service at the time of inspection.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
There were quality assurance and governance systems in place to drive continuous improvement; however, the systems were not always working effectively because the provider had not identified some health and safety issues. Improvement was also needed with regards to food safety.
The provider had safeguarding policies and procedures in place to protect people from possible harm. Risks associated with people's care and support had been assessed. There was guidance in place to keep them safe. Accidents and incidents were recorded and monitored to identify how the risks of reoccurrence could be minimised. There were sufficient staff working for the service and safe recruitment procedures were followed. People received their medicines as prescribed by the GPs.
People had an assessment carried out before they started using the service. Staff received appropriate training which gave them the skills to carry out their roles. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
Staff had developed good relationships with people and knew them well. They were aware of people’s needs and preferences and respected their privacy and dignity. People were supported to express their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and support. People were encouraged to be independent and staff respected their wishes. The importance of confidentiality was understood and respected by staff.
People were provided care and support in line with their assessed needs. There were detailed care plans in place to enable staff to provide personalised care. Care plans were reviewed regularly. People were supported to access activities which were tailored to their individual needs. There was a complaints policy and procedure in place which people and their relatives had access to.
There was an open and inclusive culture in the service, with staff, people, relatives and other external professionals encouraged to help improve the service. The provider had a system in place to monitor the quality of the care being provided through satisfaction surveys. The registered manager had good links with a number of health and social care professionals and this helped to ensure people's needs were fully met.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection:
At the last inspection the service was rated good (published 28 October 2017). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has altered its legal entity. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the registration date of the service. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
Enforcement:
We have identified breaches in relation to safety of the premises and quality assurance at this inspection.
Follow up:
We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.