We carried out this inspection on 04 & 10 March 2016. The inspection was unannounced. Natalie House provides accommodation and support for up to ten people with mental health needs requiring intense support for a year long period to learn and develop independent living skills. At the time of our inspection there were eight people living at the home. 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.
We received some outstanding feedback about the service without exception people and health professionals told us they were extremely happy with the care and support provided by Natalie House.
There was a very positive and welcoming atmosphere within the home and people were very much at the heart of the service. Everyone we spoke to told us they felt extremely safe living at Natalie House. The safety of people who used the service was taken very seriously and managers and staff were well aware of their responsibility to keep people safe.
Natalie House actively involved people in their assessment which enabled them to make choices about the support they needed to help them back to independence. People were supported to take informed risks. Risk assessments had been completed for the environment and safety checks were conducted regularly of gas and electric.
There was a strong focus on continually striving to improve. The registered manager sought feedback through the use of quality assurance questionnaire and used the results to improve the service. The registered manager had asked peoples relatives to carry out an audit in the home so people might be more open and honest.
The home was piloting a peer support group to support people living at the home manage their mental health by people with lived experience of mental health and recovery.People were empowered to raise awareness of mental health conditions to ensure they were at the heart of the service.
The home had provided two open days and invited health professionals and support organisation’s to assist in promoting awareness to improve people’s wellbeing. People were also empowered and supported to produce monthly newsletters to support people understand mental health conditions and improve their knowledge.
People’s health and wellbeing needs were closely monitored and staff worked closely with health professionals and regular reviews by health professionals took place with people working towards goals they had set for themselves. People were supported to receive their medicines safely from suitably trained staff and these were stored, administered and audited effectively.
People were given a choice of food gift cards weekly so they could buy their own food to encourage independence and staff were their to support people if needed. People could also attend cookery classes and attend group meals and a breakfast club.
The registered manager maintained a high level of communication with people through a range of newsletters and meetings. They consulted people about all aspects of the service and acted on their feedback. People were invited to service user involvement groups to feedback on provider policies and procedures, which the company valued.
Relevant recruitment checks were conducted before staff started working at Natalie House to make sure they were of good character and had the necessary skills. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew how to identify, prevent and report abuse. There were enough staff to keep people safe.
People were cared for by a motivated and well trained staff team, who always out people first. Staff received regular support and received regular one to one sessions of supervision to discuss areas of development. Staff informed us they completed a wide range and felt it supported them in their job role. New staff completed an induction programme before being permitted to work unsupervised.
Staff sought consent from people before providing care and support. The ability of people to make decisions was assessed in line with legal requirements to ensure their rights were protected and their liberty was not restricted unlawfully.
People were cared for with kindness, compassion and sensitivity. The staff were highly committed and provided people with positive care experiences. Care plans provided comprehensive information about how people wished to receive care and support. This helped ensure people received personalised care in a way that met their individual needs.
People were supported and encouraged to make choices and had access to a wide range of activities. Staff knew what was important to people and encouraged them to be as independent as possible. When people were ready to leave Natalie House they were offered a four week support programme to help them settle into their new home, with staff they felt safe with and understood their needs.
There was strong leadership which put people first and set high expectations for staff. A complaints procedure was in place. There were appropriate management arrangements in place and staff felt supported.