Archived: Fairways

Updated 2 July 2021

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Two inspectors carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

Fairways 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 unannounced.

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 all of this information to plan our inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and telephoned four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager, locality manager, senior support worker and three support workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at five staff files in relation to recruitment, training and staff supervision. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at policies and procedures.

Updated 2 July 2021

About the service

Fairways is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 12 people. The service supports people with a learning disability and/or autism. Eight people were living at the service at the time of our inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were not always safeguarded from harm. Concerns raised had not always been addressed and investigated appropriately which meant people were left at risk. There were insufficient amounts of staff to meet people’s needs. The service was not always clean and well maintained.

People were not always treated with respect or had their independence encouraged. People’s privacy and dignity was not always maintained.

There was a restrictive culture in the service. This included people not being able to access some communal rooms at set times without staff supervision.

The management and leadership of the service had not been effective at promoting a positive culture. Systems in place had failed to address areas of concern we identified at this inspection.

The provider had failed to use complaints and feedback to improve the quality and safety of the service.

People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was not always able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. Care was not always person centred to promote independence and minimise restrictions. The behaviours of leaders and care staff did not always ensure people using services lead empowered lives. We raised concerns with the locality manager who started to take immediate action to address these areas.

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 21 December 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about allegations of abuse, the culture of the service and the environment. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We undertook a focused inspection to follow up on specific concerns which we had received. We inspected and found concerns with people’s privacy and dignity not being maintained, person centred care and management and leadership, so we widened the scope of the inspection to become a comprehensive inspection of all five key questions.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.

We have identified breaches in relation to safeguarding, the environment, staffing, dignity and respect and governance and oversight of the service.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Special Measures

The overall rating for this service is ‘Inadequate’ and the service is therefore in ‘special measures’. This means we will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider’s registration, we will re-inspect within 6 months to check for significant improvements.

If the provider has not made enough improvement within this timeframe. And there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall rating, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures. This will mean we will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service. This will usually lead to cancellation of their registration or to varying the conditions the registration.

For adult social care services, the maximum time for being in special measures will usually be no more than 12 months. If the service has demonstrated improvements when we inspect it. And it is no longer rated as inadequate for any of the five key questions it will no longer be in special measures.

Following receipt of the draft report the provider confirmed they had made the decision to close the service.