Archived: The Gables Care Home

Updated 27 May 2017

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 21 March 2017 and was unannounced. It was carried out by one Adult Social Care inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed all of the information we held about the service. The registered provider had completed 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. We also reviewed the statutory notifications the provider had sent us. Notifications are records of incidents that have occurred within the service or other matters that the provider is legally obliged to inform us of. We reviewed information we had received from third parties. We contacted the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams and the local Healthwatch. We used the information that they provided us with to inform the planning of this inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with three people who used the service. Throughout the inspection we spent time in the communal areas of the home observing how staff interacted with people and supported them. With consent we looked in three people’s bedrooms. After the inspection we spoke with two people's care managers.

We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, and four care workers. We reviewed three people’s care records including their medicines administration records. We looked at three staff personnel files, in addition to a range of records in relation to the safety and management of the service.

Updated 27 May 2017

This inspection took place on 21 March 2017 and was unannounced. This meant that the provider and staff did not know we would be visiting. The Gables Care Home provides accommodation, care and support for up to 11 people with a mental health condition or learning disability. At the time of the inspection there were six people living at the service.

At our last comprehensive inspection of the service, in December 2015, we found one breach of legal requirements which related to safe care and treatment, the service was rated Requires Improvement. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and that the service was no longer in breach of any legal requirements, and is now rated Good.

A registered manager was 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 told us they felt safe when supported by staff employed by the service. Staff had received training in recognising the signs of potential abuse and how to respond. A safeguarding policy was in place.

Risks had been assessed and actions to mitigate risks had been identified. Accidents and incidents had been monitored and measures put in place to reduce the likelihood of them reoccurring.

There were enough staff on duty to meet people's needs.

Some areas of the home were in need of redecoration and refurbishment to improve the environment, and an action plan was in place. We have made a recommendation about this.

Staff had undertaken training in a range of subjects related to care and safety. Training was up to date, and staff were supported to further their development.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), and to report on what we find. MCA is a law that protects and supports people who do not have the ability to make their own decisions and to ensure decisions are made in their 'best interests'. We found the provider was complying with their legal requirements. People's rights to make choices were respected.

Where restrictions on people's liberty were in place to keep them safe, applications had been made to the local authority to grant Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in line with legal requirements.

People were involved in planning menus, encouraged to prepare meals, and could make drinks and snacks any time they wished. Where people had specific nutritional needs these were assessed and staff had information about how to meet them.

People we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they received. They told us care was planned around their choices and that staff listened to them. People and staff gave us examples about how people's privacy and dignity were upheld. People told us they felt respected.

People's needs had been assessed and specific and detailed care plans had been created to ensure all staff had access to information about people's needs.

People were encouraged to share their feedback. People indicated their satisfaction with the service in a survey in October 2016. The service had not received any formal complaints since our last inspection, but a policy was available to people who used the service.

People and staff told us the service was managed very well. Staff told us they felt listened to and valued. Staff meetings were held regularly. A range of checks were carried out to monitor the quality of the service. Care records were maintained to a good standard and stored securely so they remained confidential.