We inspected the service on 19 August 2015. Meadowcroft is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide accommodation for up to 20 people with varying support needs including nursing and mental health care needs. On the day of our inspection there were 17 people living at the home.
The home had 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.
At the last inspection in October 2013 the provider was meeting the essential standards of quality and safety required of them.
Due to the complex needs of the people living at Meadowcroft we were unable to gather people’s views directly about the service they received. Instead we spent time observing practice, including daily routines and staff interactions. We saw staff proving safe and effective care. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. They were confident that they could recognise and report poor or abusive practice.
Staff were very positive about the support and training they received. They told us that they had received training specific to help them meet and understand the needs of the people they supported. One staff member told us that training gave them a ‘good insight’. Everyone we spoke with demonstrated that they knew people well. They told us that care plans were detailed and helped them to offer consistent support. Staff told us that communication was a strength of the service provided. Staff working at all levels understood the need to work closely with colleagues to ensure that people received consistent support.
Staff gave examples of how people had developed new skills and gained in confidence since living at the home and this had positively impacted their quality of life.
Staff told us that by recognising certain triggers (which they all were aware of) they could redirect people and reduce likelihoods of incidents occurring.
Staff received good handover of information at the start of their shifts. This meant that they could continue activities started on previous shifts but also have a good insight into each person’s needs. One staff member told us that consistency was paying off and good communication was meaning that people were better supported to remain relaxed and calm. They told us that the reduction in the number of incidents of challenging behaviour demonstrates this. Records reflected that this reduction had happened.
People received their medicines safely and medicines were stored and recorded appropriately.
People were provided with sufficient food and drink to maintain their health and wellbeing, and the standard of food provided was good.
People were supported to receive any health care they needed and any advice provided was acted upon. Support plans to manage behaviours that challenged were detailed and enabled staff to offer effective and consistent support.
Staff treated people with respect and kindness and listened to their wishes. We saw that people’s requests for help and support were responded to.
People had opportunities to follow their individual hobbies and interests although motivation was a challenge to staff. Group activities were arranged although, again, participation was hit and miss.
People’s care needs and individual preferences were assessed and kept under review. Care and support plans were very detailed to enable staff to follow guidance enabling a consistent approach.
Information about who people could speak with if they wanted to raise a concern was available. Staff knew the complaints procedure and we saw it had been effectively used in the past.
People living at the home and the staff team had opportunities to be involved in discussions about the running of the home and felt the registered manager provided good leadership. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the services provided.