This inspection took place on 21 January 2015 and was an announced inspection. This meant the staff and provider knew 24 hours before the inspection we would be visiting. This was because as a small home for people with learning disabilities, people are often out during the day.
Adalena House is a large detached house in a residential area of Blackpool. There are no features which identify Adalena House as being somewhere that provides adult social care, and the house looks the same as others in the neighbourhood. The home is registered to accommodate up to six adults, with a learning disability who require assistance with personal care. At the time of our visit six people lived at the home.
There was a mix of single occupancy and double rooms. None were en-suite. Some people chose to share rooms. Communal bathing facilities and toilets were available throughout the home. There was a garden area to the front of the building and an area for people to sit out in at the back of the house. There was wheelchair access from the rear of the home and the ground floor of the home was wheelchair accessible.
The service was last inspected in September 2013. They met the requirements of the regulations during that inspection.
The registered provider was an individual who also managed the home on a day to day basis. Registered providers 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.
Risks to people were minimised because the registered provider had procedures in place to protect people from abuse and unsafe care. People told us they felt safe living at Adalena House and were very happy there. One person said, “I like it here – I have always felt safe”. Another person told us, “I do feel safe here – yes – enough people work here to make me feel safe – they are good at their job”.
We looked at how the home was being staffed. There were enough staff available to provide support to people in the home, on activities, appointments and holidays. Most people were quite independent around the house and needed a low level of supervision within the home. More staff support was provided when people went out in the community.
Staff had been trained and had the skills and knowledge to provide support to the people they cared for. They understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions.
People’s health needs were met and any changes in health managed in a timely manner. Medicines were managed appropriately. They were given as prescribed and stored and disposed of correctly.
People were offered a choice of healthy and nutritious meals. People told us they enjoyed the food. Mealtimes were flexible. Some meals were eaten as a group, others separately, according to what people were doing each day. One person told us, “We get loads to eat – loads and loads. All good. We usually eat together in the dining room.” Another person said, “I enjoy living here – I am happy with the food and drink here. Food choice and quality are fine.”
People we spoke with told us that staff were kind and caring. They told us they were happy and satisfied with life at Adalena House. One person told us “I have lived here for a few years now and we all enjoy living together. The staff are all good.” Another person said “It’s nice here. We have a good life here.”
Staff were aware of people’s individual needs around privacy and dignity. They spoke with people in a respectful way. People felt they could trust staff and they were friendly and respectful. One person said, “The staff treat me with respect – all the time.”
People attended day centres several times a week. Staff supported people to engage in activities of their choosing, in the home and local community. They were very welcoming to people’s friends and relatives and were proactive in making sure that people were able to keep relationships that mattered to them.
There was a positive culture in the home. There was informal quality assurance in place to monitor the quality of the service. The provider routinely worked in the home and dealt with any issues of quality quickly and appropriately. The staff team had frequent informal chats with people about their views of the home. They made sure these were passed on to the registered provider at shift handovers.