Sawley

Updated 30 June 2018

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 comprehensive unannounced inspection took place on the 12 June 2018 and was undertaken by two inspectors.

Heathcotes Sawley met the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The inspection was informed by information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed information we held about the service. This included information from the local authority and statutory notifications the registered manager had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. We used this to formulate our inspection plan.

We spoke with three people who used the service and observed how staff interacted with people. We spoke with one person’s relative by telephone following the inspection visit. We spoke with the registered manager, the regional manager and four care staff. We looked at two people’s care records to check that the care they received matched the information in their records. We reviewed two staff files to see how staff were recruited. We looked at the training records to see how staff were trained and supported to deliver care appropriate to meet each person’s needs. We looked at the systems the provider had in place to ensure the quality of the service was continuously monitored and reviewed to drive improvement, such as their quality monitoring audits.

Updated 30 June 2018

Heathcotes (Sawley) is a residential care home that provides accommodation and personal care support for up to six people between the ages of 18 to 65 with a learning disability and associated conditions. 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. There were six people who used the service at the time of our visit.

At our last inspection on the 20 May 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the overall rating of good but improvements were needed to ensure all recruitment checks were thoroughly explored. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The registered manager had overlooked recruitment information received for one staff member. They took immediate action to address this at the time of the inspection. Staff understood how to protect people from harm and their responsibilities to raise concerns and record safety incidents. Risks to people were managed to reduce potential hazards. Enough staff were available to support people. Where people required support to take their medicines; this was provided in a safe way. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to hygiene and infection control.

People continued to receive effective support. Staff had the knowledge they needed to provide effective care and support was delivered in line with good practice guidance. People’s physical health was monitored and they were supported to access healthcare services. People’s dietary needs and preferences were met. People are supported 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.

People continued to receive support that was caring by staff who knew them well. People were involved in making decisions about their care and their privacy, dignity and independence was respected and promoted.

People continued to receive support that was responsive to their individual needs. People were consulted regarding their preferences and interests and these were incorporated into their support plan to ensure they were supported to lead the life they wanted to. People were supported to be as independent as they could be and assistive technology and accessible information was in place to support people in achieving this. The support people received was reviewed with them to ensure it remained relevant. People knew how to raise any concerns or complaints, and these were responded to in a timely manner.

The service continued to be well led. The registered manager understood their roles and responsibilities and the staff worked well as a team to enable people to be supported in their preferred way. People, staff and visiting professionals were encouraged to give feedback, and their views were acted on to develop the service. The provider worked in partnership with other agencies and systems were in place to drive ongoing improvements.

Further information is in the detailed findings below