14 June 2016
During a routine inspection
At the time of this inspection care was provided to 46 people who live with a learning disability and who may also have mental and physical health needs.
This comprehensive inspection took place on 14 June 2016 and was announced.
The provider is required to have a registered manager as one of their conditions of registration. A registered manager was not in post at the time of the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [CQC] to manage the agency. 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. There was a manager operating the service and they had applied to be registered and was waiting for the CQC to consider their completed application.
People were kept safe and staff were knowledgeable about reporting any incident of harm. People were looked after by enough staff to support them with their individual needs. Pre-employment checks were completed on staff before they were assessed to be suitable to look after people who used the service. People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed.
People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts of food and drink. They were also supported to access health care services and their individual health and nutritional needs were met.
The CQC is required by law to monitor the Mental Capacity Act 2005 [MCA 2005] and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards [DoLS] and to report on what we find. The provider was aware of what they were required to do should any person lack mental capacity. People’s mental capacity was assessed and care was provided in their best interests. Staff were trained and knowledgeable about the application of the MCA. Arrangements were in place for external agencies to make DoLS applications to the Court of Protection [CoP], if these were required. The outcome of these decisions was pending.
People were looked after by staff who were trained and supported to do their job.
People were treated by kind staff who they liked. They and their relatives were given opportunities to be involved in the review of people’s individual care plans.
People were supported to increase their integration into the community; they were helped to take part in recreational and work-related activities that were important to them. Care was provided based on people’s individual needs. There was a process in place so that people’s concerns and complaints were listened to and these were acted upon.
The registered manager was supported by a team of management staff and care staff. Staff were supported and managed to look after people in a safe way. Staff, people and their relatives were able to make suggestions and actions were taken as a result. Quality monitoring procedures were in place and action was taken where improvements were identified.