Archived: 1 Hamilton Road

Updated 24 March 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. The inspection was planned to check whether the provider was 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.

We visited 1 Hamilton Road on 15 December 2016. The inspection was announced 24 hours in advance because we wanted to make sure we could meet people who used the service. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also checked other information that we held about the service and the service provider, including notifications we received from the service. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service because the people had complex needs, which meant they were not able to tell us their experiences. We obtained feedback from a relative of one person, two advocates and three other community care professionals. We spoke with the registered manager and five members of staff. We observed interactions between staff and people using the service.

We looked at a range of documents and written records including people’s care and support plans, risk assessments, staff recruitment and training files. We also looked at information regarding the arrangements for managing complaints and monitoring the quality of the service provided within the home.

We previously inspected the service in September 2014 and no concerns were identified.

Updated 24 March 2017

1 Hamilton Road is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to two people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder.

We inspected the home on 15 December 2016. The inspection was announced 24 hours in advance because the service was a small care home for younger adults who may be out during the day. There were two people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with 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 cared for by staff in ways that met their needs and maintained their dignity and respect. Staff understood how to identify, report and manage any concerns related to people’s safety and welfare. There were systems and processes in place to protect people from harm, including how medicines were managed.

Safe recruitment practices were followed and appropriate checks had been undertaken, which made sure only suitable staff were employed to care for people in the home. There were sufficient numbers of experienced staff to meet people’s needs.

Staff were supported to provide appropriate care to people because they were trained, supervised and appraised. There was an induction, training and development programme, which supported staff to gain relevant knowledge and skills.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which apply to care homes. Where people’s liberty or freedoms were at risk of being restricted, the proper authorisations were in place.

People and their relatives or representatives were involved in planning the care and support provided by the service. Staff listened to people and understood and respected their needs. Staff reflected people’s wishes and preferences in the way they delivered care. They understood the issues involved in supporting people who had lost capacity to make some decisions.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their needs and to make informed choices about what they ate. Staff ensured people obtained advice and support from other health professionals to maintain and improve their health or when their needs changed.

The service was responsive to people’s needs and there were systems in place to help ensure any concerns or complaints were responded to appropriately. People were encouraged and supported to engage in activities they were interested in.

There was a friendly atmosphere in the home and staff supported people in a kind and caring way that took account of their individual needs and preferences. The staff and management team shared common values about the purpose of the service.

The registered manager demonstrated an open management style and provided leadership to the staff team. There was a range of systems in place to assess and monitor the quality and safety of the service and to ensure people were receiving appropriate support.