Adalena House

Updated 11 January 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection team

This inspection was carried out by an inspector.

Service and service type

Adalena House 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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection was announced. This was because the service is small and people are often out. We wanted to be sure there would be people available to speak with us.

What we did before inspection

We completed our planning tool and reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affected the health, safety and welfare of people supported by the service. We looked at previous inspection reports. We also sought feedback from partner agencies and health and social care professionals. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with all six people who lived at Adalena House. We spoke with the provider and one member of staff, the registered manager.

To gather information, we looked at a variety of records. This included medicines records and one person’s care records. We also looked at other information related to the management of the service. We did this to ensure the management team had oversight of the service and they could respond to any concerns highlighted or lead in ongoing improvements. We walked around the building to check the home was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to live.

Updated 11 January 2020

About the service

Adalena House is registered to provide accommodation with personal care, to a maximum of six people who have a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder or physical disability. Six people lived at Adalena House. It is a large house with single and shared bedrooms and shared communal areas. There is outdoor space for people to enjoy.

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.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. 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.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe and looked after by staff. Staff assessed and managed risks to keep people as safe as possible. Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people’s care and support needs. They supported people with their medicines as they needed. The home was clean and maintained and staff practised good infection control.

Staff supported people to see healthcare professionals promptly to help their health and wellbeing. People had sufficient nutrition and staff were familiar with their dietary needs. People were helped 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. Staff assessed people's capacity to make decisions. The design of the home met people’s needs. Staff had been suitably trained and supported and had the skills, knowledge and experience to provide good care.

Staff provided care that met people’s different needs and preferences. People and their relatives were involved in planning their care and encouraged to make decisions. People told us they enjoyed living at Adalena House and were treated with respect and consideration.

Staff had assessed people’s specific communication needs and were familiar with the ways people communicated. People were involved in a variety of activities independently or with staff support. Staff encouraged people or their families to tell them about any concerns or complaints. People could remain at Adalena House when needing end of life care, with familiar people to support them.

People told us they could make their views known and make decisions about their lives. They said staff listened to and acted on these. The management team monitored the service to check on the quality and make sure staff were providing good care. They understood and acted on legal obligations, including conditions of CQC registration and those of other organisations. The registered manager worked in partnership with other services and organisations to make sure they followed good practice and people in their care were safe.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated good (published 06 September 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.