Background to this inspection
Updated
8 April 2020
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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was undertaken by two inspectors.
Service and service type
Desboro House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
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 inspection was announced, we gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager and a care worker.
We reviewed care records, this included two people’s care plans and daily care records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also looked at medicines administration records (MARs) for people who use the service. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including the provider’s policies and procedures.
After the inspection
We spoke with two relatives by telephone and continued to review information sent from the provider to validate evidence found. This included training data and quality assurance records.
Updated
8 April 2020
About the service
Desboro House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to eight people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to eight people.
The service was designed taking into account best practice guidance and the principles and values underpinning Registering the Right Support. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with a learning disability were supported to live as ordinary a life as any citizen. There were deliberately no identifying signs or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Systems and processes supported staff to keep people safe. Quality assurance audits and checks were completed by the registered manager and provider, to identify areas of improvement and monitor key aspects of the service
People were safe at the service as staff understood their roles in managing any possible safeguarding issues. Risks to people’s safety were assessed and measures were in place to mitigate them and keep people safe.
People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who received training for their role. The provider undertook safe recruitment processes to ensure people were supported by a suitable staff group.
People received their medicines from staff who were competent and trained. Staff employed safe practices to control the risks of infection at the service and there were processes in place to learn from incidents and accidents to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
People’s nutritional and health needs were well managed and the environment they lived in was well maintained. The service had several communal areas for people to use, both inside and outside the property.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were supported by a caring staff group who respected their choices. People had the opportunity to voice their opinions on their care and were supported when needed with the services of advocates.
People received care in a personalised way, care and support needs were planned with people to meet their specific needs. Staff we spoke with showed a good understanding of people’s needs, information in the care plans supported this.
People were supported to maintain relationships with their families, follow their hobbies and be involved in social activities. Information was provided in ways people could understand and there was accessible information around the service to support people should they wish to make a complaint.
People and staff told us the registered manager was approachable, and both people and staff were able to voice their opinions about the service and felt they were listened to. The registered manager worked to provide an open person-centred approach to people’s care and worked with other health care professionals to achieve this.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 14 September 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.