Archived: Martin Close

Updated 18 December 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 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.

The inspection took place on 18 and 22 October 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection visit because the location was a small residential home for adults who were not accustomed to having strangers enter their home. We needed to be sure that we would not cause them any unnecessary distress. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

We reviewed information we held about the service, for example, statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

We observed people receiving care and support in Martin Close. We also spoke with the registered manager and two members of staff. We also spoke with three people living in the service. We reviewed records which included five people's care and support plans and medicines administration records, two staff recruitment files and supervision records and records relating to the management of the service. We also reviewed records relating to relatives' feedback, staff feedback, staff training, risk assessments, legionella safety, equipment checks, quality assurance records and policies and procedures for safeguarding, infection control and medicines management.

Updated 18 December 2018

This inspection took place on the 18 and 22 October 2018 and was announced.

Martin’s Close is a residential home. People in residential homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission regulates both the premises and the care provided. Both were looked at during this inspection.

Martin’s Close is registered to provide personal care and support for up to five people living with a disability, a learning need or a physical impairment. Martin’s Close is a two storey house set in a suburban area of Basingstoke with good public transport links.

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.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 our last inspection we rated the service Good with a rating of Requires Improvement in Well-Led. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and Well-Led had improved to good.

There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns.

This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At the last inspection, the registered manager told us the provider had been through a series of restructures. As a result of the restructure the registered manager had been given responsibility to manage three other services within a thirty mile radius of Martin Close. A senior support worker had been appointed to oversee the day to day management of the home. Concerns had been expressed by staff and relatives about the impact of the restructure on Martin’s Close.

At this inspection the registered manager told us their responsibilities had been reduced so they managed two registered services, including Martin’s Close. They also managed a service not registered with us. We found responsibilities for staff were clear and the registered manager was maintaining a detailed oversight of the services they were responsible for. There was no adverse impact for people or staff at Martin’s Close.

The provider had robust systems and processes in place to safeguard people. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to alert the relevant professionals if they suspected abuse and were appropriately trained. Risks to people were assessed and managed safely by appropriately trained staff.

People were supported to take part in their preferred activities and to have choice in their lives so that their independence was promoted and their freedom respected. Sufficient numbers of staff were deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely.

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.

People’s needs and choices were met by suitably trained staff. Care plans and risk assessments were personalised and regularly reviewed and updated.

Staff liaised effectively with healthcare professionals to support people's health and wellbeing. Staff knew people well, supported them consistently and treated them with respect. People were able to easily discuss their preferences and tell staff about how they wished to be supported.

The provider had a complaints policy in place. People knew how to complain.

No-one at the home was receiving end of life care at the time of the inspection, however, people’s care and support documents contained information about what people wanted to happen in and after their last days.

The provider demonstrated an inclusive, person centred approach to delivering care which was understood and shared by staff.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.