Background to this inspection
Updated
26 March 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.
Service and service type:
The service is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at on this inspection.
The care service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpinned the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values included choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service could live as ordinary a life as any citizen.
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:
This was a planned inspection and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in.
What we did:
Before the inspection, we reviewed the latest Provider Information Return (PIR) from the service. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed this information and in addition looked at notifications which the service had sent us. A notification is the means by which providers tell us important information that affects the running of the service and the care people receive. We also spoke with the local authority quality improvement team and safeguarding team to obtain their views about the service.
We spoke and interacted with each person living at the home and talked to three relatives by telephone. We also spoke with the registered manager, service manager, and four care staff. We spoke with two health and social care professionals via telephone.
We walked around the building and observed care practices and people’s interactions with staff and each other. This helped us understand people’s experiences including those who could not talk with us.
We reviewed a range of records including three care plans, staffing rotas, training records and other information about the management of the service. This included accidents and incidents information, three Medicine Administration Records (MAR), compliments and complaints, equipment checks and quality assurance audits.
Updated
26 March 2019
About the service:
3 Cranford Avenue is a residential care home providing accommodation, personal care and support for up to four people with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection three people were living at the home.
The service is currently in the process of applying to the CQC to de-register as a residential care home and register as a supported living service. In supported living services people have their own tenancy agreements and a separate support package arranged according to their assessed needs.
The service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the CQC 'Registering the Right Support' policy and other best practice guidance such as 'Building the Right Support'. 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 other citizen.
Rating at last inspection:
At our last inspection we rated the home as Good (published 21 July 2016).
Why we inspected:
This inspection was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.
People’s experience of using this service:
People who could speak with us told us they were happy at 3 Cranford Avenue. Each person indicated to staff that they were happy and enjoyed their company. Relatives felt their family members were safe and well cared for. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the risks people faced in their day to day lives and the practical ways they could support them to minimise those risks to keep them safe. People received their medicines on time, at the correct dose and had regular reviews to ensure that they were not being over medicated.
People’s desired outcomes were known, and staff worked with people to help achieve these. Staff had received the necessary induction, competency checks and ongoing training to help them meet people’s specific needs. People were supported to retain their independence, develop new skills and interests and live their lives as fully as possible. People were 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 were actively encouraged to maintain contact with those important to them including family and other people living at the home. Staff understood the importance of these contacts for people’s health and well-being. Staff and people were observed enjoying meaningful, compassionate and mutually beneficial interactions. Staff knew people well and what made them individuals.
The registered manager was respected by the staff and promoted and open and transparent culture. Management and staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Staff felt supported and valued. Feedback surveys were undertaken to ensure that people, relatives and staff could express their views and contribute to what happened at the service. Meetings and presentations had been held with people’s relatives and relevant health and social professionals in relation to the proposed change from a care home to supported living accommodation.
Quality and safety checks by the registered manager and service manager helped ensure people were safe and protected from harm. This also ensured that practice standards were maintained and improved. Audits helped identify areas for improvement with learning from these shared with staff.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.