Woodlands - Innova House CLD

Updated 15 July 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 inspection took place on 15 and 21 January 2019 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

On this occasion, we had not asked the provider to send us a provider Information return (PIR). A PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service. This includes what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. However, we offered the provider the opportunity to share information they felt was relevant.

We reviewed other information we held about the home, which included notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also contacted county council commissioners of adult social care services and Healthwatch and asked them for their views of the service provided.

During the inspection, we spoke with three people who used the service and two relatives and asked them for their views on the quality of the service provided. We also spoke with four members of the support staff, the specialist provision lead, the registered manager and a member of staff who was currently training to become the manager.

We looked at all or parts of the records relating to four people who used the service as well as staff recruitment records. We looked at other information related to the running of and the quality of the service. This included quality assurance audits, training information for support staff, staff duty rotas, meeting minutes and arrangements for managing complaints.

After the inspection we asked the provider to send us some additional records, such as policies and procedures, which they did within the required timeframe.

Updated 15 July 2019

We carried out an unannounced inspection of the service on 15 and 21 January 2019. Woodlands – Innova House CLD 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. This service supports people who have a learning disability.

Woodlands – Innova House CLD accommodates up to nine people living in five separate houses on one site. During our inspection there were seven people living on the site. This is the service’s second inspection under its current registration. The service was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ after the last inspection. This rating has now improved to ‘Good’.

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.

A registered manager was present during the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 the last inspection on 13 and 21 March 2018 and 11 May 2018 we identified five breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. These were in relation to; person centred care, the need for consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment and good governance. After this inspection we asked the provider to send us an action plan to inform us how they would make the necessary improvements to ensure they complied with the fundamental standards.

At this inspection we checked to see whether improvements in these five areas had been made and found they had.

People received support that met their assessed needs. People were now protected from the risk of avoidable harm and abuse and staff understood how to act on any concerns. People now received safe care and support from staff and could live their lives without unnecessary restrictions. There were sufficient numbers of staff in place and they understood how to provide people with safe, person centred care and support. People’s medicines were now managed safely and effectively and each person’s home was free from the risk of the spread of infection. The provider had made changes to the way accidents and incidents were investigated. This included clearer processes for investigation and support for staff to learn from mistakes.

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 support this practice. Staff were well trained and received regular supervision to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. People received care and support in line with their assessed needs and in accordance with current legislation and best practice guidelines. We found overall, people were supported effectively with their meals and leading a healthy, nutritional lifestyle. People had access to support from external health and social care agencies. The home environment was well maintained and adapted to support people with a learning and/or physical disability.

We observed people, staff and management all interacting well with each other. There was a calm, friendly and warm approach by staff when supporting people. People’s views were requested and acted on and staff communicated effectively with people. Staff treated people with respected and dignity. There were no restrictions on people’s friends or relatives visiting them. People’s records were handled appropriately and in line with data protection legislation.

People’s care and support needs were now planned and acted in line with their personal preferences, likes and dislikes. People’s support records contained information about them which was used by staff to help them lead their lives in their preferred way. People could take part in their preferred activities. People, and where applicable their relatives, could discuss their support needs. Accessible information was provided to help people make an informed choice. Complaints were handled and responded to line with the provider’s complaints policy. Efforts had been made to support people with how they wished to be cared for at the end of their life.

Improvements had been made in all areas of quality assurance. Responsibilities for carrying out audits were delegated to help enable staff to develop their roles and gain further experience. Staff told us they liked where they worked and found the working environment had improved since the last inspection. People, relatives and staff liked the registered manager and felt they had made a positive impact. People, relatives and staff were encouraged to give their views about how the home could be improved and developed.