United Response - 26 Tennyson Road

Updated 4 October 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 was 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 inspection took place on 29 August 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we checked information that we held about the home and the service provider. This included information from other agencies and statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We used 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.

During the inspection we spoke with three people. Following the inspection, we spoke to two relatives of two people who lived at the home. We spoke with two care staff, the lead senior support worker and the manager. We spent time observing the care and support people received in communal areas of the home. We also spoke to a social worker who monitored a person’s care at the home.

We looked at the care plans and associated records for three people. We reviewed other records, including the provider’s internal checks and audits, staff training records, staff rotas, accidents, incidents, records of medicines administered to people and complaints.

Updated 4 October 2018

The inspection took place on 29 August 2018 and was unannounced.

26 Tennyson Road provides care and support for up to five people with a learning disability. At the time of this inspection there were five people living at the home. The home is a detached residential property located in a suburban area of Bognor Regis. Each person had their own bedroom which was decorated in the way they had chosen. There was a communal lounge and a dining room. Bathroom and toilet facilities were provided on both floors of the home.

At the last inspection of 31 May 2017, we found the provider was in breach of three regulations. The provider had failed to notify us of incidents which they were required to do as set out in regulations. The provider had not taken sufficient action to ensure people were always protected from harm, which had placed people at risk of abuse. We found the provider had not operated a system of adequate monitoring of the quality and safety of the service to ensure people were always protected from harm, which had placed people at risk of abuse. We made a requirement notice regarding this and the provider sent us an action plan of how they would be addressing this. At this inspection improvements had been and all three breaches had been met.

The service did not have a registered manager, but there was a manager who had applied to the Commission to become the 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 this inspection we identified some of the safety checks regarding risks to people and staff regarding the premises were not properly assessed in line with health and safety guidance. We have made a recommendation about this.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with 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.

Staff were trained in safeguarding people in their care. Relatives said staff had a good awareness of their responsibilities to protect people.

Risks to people were assessed and care plans included details of action staff needed to take to keep people safe.

Sufficient numbers of staff were employed to meet people’s needs and to ensure people had access to community facilities.

Medicines were safely managed.

The home is a converted residential dwelling. People were able to choose the décor for their rooms which were personalised with their own belongings.

People’s health and social care needs were comprehensively assessed and arrangements made to monitor and treat health care needs.

Staff had access to a range of training courses including nationally recognised qualifications in care. Staff were also supported with supervision and their performance was monitored by regular appraisals.

People chose the meals they had and people had nutritious meals.

Staff supported people to make their own decisions and to have as much control about their lives as possible. Staff were trained in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People received care from staff who were caring and compassionate. People were involved in decisions about their care. Relatives described the home as being like a family. People were supported to develop their independence and their privacy was promoted.

People received person centred care which was responsive to their needs. Care plans reflected people’s needs and preferences, although the manager acknowledged these needed to be reviewed and updated. People were supported to attend a range of social and recreational and occupational activities. People’s communication needs were assessed and staff were skilled when interacting with people. Information was provided to people in a format they could more easily understand.

People and their relatives were able to contribute to decision making in the home. Relatives and staff said the manager was supportive and approachable. Staff said they were supported. The provider promoted an ethos of person centred care where people’s rights to care were upheld. There were a number of audits and quality assurance checks regarding the safety and quality of the services.