Archived: 21A Victoria Road

Updated 26 January 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 checked 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 the 18 and 22 December 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service including statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about incidents and events that occurred at the service. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

We used this information to plan the inspection. During our inspection, we observed care and spoke with two people living at the service. We also spoke with the registered manager, an independent auditor, the provider and three care staff on duty. Following the inspection, we spoke to a relative.

We looked around the premises and observed care practices on the day of our visit.

We reviewed three people’s care records including their medicines administration records. We looked at two staff files including recruitment, training and supervision and duty rotas. We looked at other records relating to the management of the service that included incident reports, safeguarding concerns, complaints and audits to monitor quality of the service.

Updated 26 January 2018

This inspection took place on 18 December 2017 and was unannounced. 21a Victoria Road is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service provides accommodation and personal care for up to five people. It is a service for people with a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection five people were receiving care from the service.

At our last inspection of the service on 10 May 2016, we rated the service as "Requires Improvement". This was because we found deficiencies in the way medicines and risk were managed. This meant the provider was in breach of one regulation of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Following the inspection the provider sent us an action plan setting out the actions they would take to meet the regulation. During this inspection we found the provider had appropriate systems in place to manage people's medicines and risk in a safe way.

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.

People were protected from risks to their health and wellbeing. The service had updated their fire policy following the last inspection which was reviewed monthly. Up to date plans were in place to manage risks, without unduly restricting people's independence. There were sufficient numbers of staff to support people and safe recruitment practices were followed. The provider managed medicines safely.

Procedures were in place which safeguarded people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. Staff understood the various types of abuse and knew who to report any concerns to.

Staff we spoke with had an understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA 2005). Capacity to make specific decisions was recorded in people's care plans. People had 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. The provider submitted relevant deprivation of liberty applications to the local authority.

Appropriate training, supervision and appraisals were in place to enable staff to provide appropriate care to people. There was an induction, training and development programme, which supported staff to gain relevant knowledge and skills.

People received regular and on-going health checks and support to attend appointments. People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their needs and to make informed choices about what they ate.

We saw staff interacting well with people and treated people with dignity and respect. People’s individual communication needs were recorded in their care files. Care plans contained information about people's wishes and preferences and documented people's skills in relation to tasks and what support they required from staff, in order that their independence was maintained. People were involved in regular reviews of their care and support.

People were encouraged to pursue their interests and to maintain links within the community.

There was a clear management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. The provider checked the quality and safety of the service.