Archived: Disabilities Trust - 1 Westfield Road

Updated 13 February 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 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 January 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

One inspector carried out the inspection.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the completed PIR and considered this when we made our judgements.

We checked the information we held about the service including statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also contacted the health and social care commissioners who help place and monitor the care of people living in the home.

During this inspection, we spoke with two people using the service and one relative. The staff supported one person with specific communication needs to provide feedback following the inspection which was sent to us. We also spoke with two staff that were the registered manager and a team leader.

We reviewed the care records of two people that used the service that included their care plans, health and medication records, risk assessments and daily care records. We also looked at the recruitment records for two members of staff to see how the provider operated their recruitment procedures. Other records we examined related to the management of the service and included staff rotas, training and supervision records, quality audits and service user feedback, in order to ensure that robust quality monitoring systems were in place.

Updated 13 February 2018

Disabilities Trust - 1 Westfield Road is a care home which provides accommodation and personal care for up to three people with high functioning learning disabilities or autism. 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. There were three people using the service when we carried out our inspection.

At the last comprehensive inspection on 21December, 2016 we asked the provider to take action to make improvements in relation to the systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided and this action has been completed.

At this inspection on 15 January 2018, we rated the service as Good.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People told us they felt safe and staff had an understanding of abuse and the safeguarding procedures that should be followed to report abuse. People had risk assessments in place to cover any risks that were present within their lives, but also enable them to be as independent as possible. All the staff we spoke with were confident that any concerns they raised would be followed up appropriately by their manager.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people's current needs. The staff recruitment procedures ensured that appropriate pre-employment checks were completed to ensure only suitable staff worked at the service.

Medicines were managed safely. The processes in place ensured that the administration and handling of medicines was suitable for the people who used the service. Staff were trained in infection control, and had the appropriate personal protective equipment to perform their roles safely. The service was clean and tidy, and regular cleaning took place to ensure the prevention of the spread of infection.

There were arrangements in place for the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong, to improve safety across the service

People’s needs and choices were assessed and their care provided in line with up to date guidance and best practice. They received care from staff that had received training and support to carry out their roles. Staff were well supported by the registered manager and senior team, and had one to one supervisions and observations of their practice.

People were encouraged to shop for, prepare and cook their own meals. Staff supported them to make healthy choices to maintain their health and well-being. Staff supported people to book and attend appointments with healthcare professionals, and supported them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The service worked with other organisations to ensure that people received coordinated and person-centred care and support.

People’s diverse needs were met by the adaptation, design and decoration of premises and they were involved in decisions about the environment. People's consent was gained before any care was provided and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were met. 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 treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and preferences. People told us they were happy with the way that staff spoke to them, and provided their care in a respectful and dignified manner. People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided.

People were listened to, their views were acknowledged and acted upon and care and support was delivered in the way that people chose and preferred. Care plans were person centred and reflected how people’s needs were to be met. Records showed that people were involved in the assessment process and the on-going reviews of their care. They were supported to take part in activities, which they wanted to do, within the service and the local community. There was a complaints procedure in place to enable people to raise complaints about the service.

Systems were in place to support people and their families when coming to the end of their life. The service worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure quality of care across all levels. Communication was open and honest, and improvements were highlighted and worked upon as required.

The service had an open culture that encouraged communication and learning. People, relatives and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about the service and it was used to drive continuous improvement. Staff were motivated to perform their roles and worked to empower people to be as independent as possible. The provider had quality assurance systems to review the quality of the service to help drive improvement.