Wanderers House

Updated 18 January 2019

The inspection: 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.

Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type: Wanderers House is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a registered manager. The registered manager was on leave of absence during our inspection process. The provider had appointed a deputy manager and an area manager to oversee the running of the home while the registered manager was absent. 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.

Notice of inspection: The inspection was unannounced.

What we did: We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We assessed the information we require providers to send us annually that gives us key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection visit, we reviewed three people’s care records to ensure they were reflective of their needs, and other documents such as medicines records. We reviewed records relating to the management of the service such as quality audits, people’s feedback, and meeting minutes. We met six people who lived at Wanderers House to gather their feedback and one person’s advocate. We also spoke with a care worker, the deputy manager and the area manager.

Updated 18 January 2019

What life is like for people using this service:

The property was clean, comfortable with plenty of room for people to live.

People told us they felt safe and happy and the service was their home. One person told us, "There are no problems here, I am happy.”

There were safeguarding systems and processes in places that sought to protect people from harm. Staff knew the signs of abuse and what to do if they suspected it. There were sufficient staff in place, all of whom had passed safe recruitment procedures to ensure they were suitable for their role. There were systems in place to monitor people's safety and promote their health and wellbeing, these included risk assessments and care plans. The provider ensured that when things went wrong, incidents and accidents were recorded and lessons were learned.

People needs were assessed in detail before moving into the home so the provider knew whether they could meet a person's needs. Staff were sufficiently skilled and experienced to fulfil their roles, received training and were supported through supervision and appraisal. People were prompted to eat and drink healthily and could choose what foods they wanted to eat. 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 supported this practice.

People were treated kindly and compassionately by staff. People were supported to express their views and make decisions about the care and treatment they received. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity and supported them to be as independent as possible.

People received personalised care because their support needs and preferences were detailed in their care plans. People were supported to lead meaningful and fulfilled lives through activities of their choice. The provider had a complaints policy and process in place; people told us they would feel comfortable raising complaints. There were no people at the end of their life, but the provider worked with people to establish their wishes at such a time, so that they could support people if their health changed.

People and staff thought highly of the area manager and deputy manager. Staff knew their roles and understood what was expected of them. The area manager and deputy manager understood their responsibilities in the absence of the registered manager, to ensure people received a safe, high quality service. People and staff were engaged in the service and their opinions were sought. There were quality assurance systems in place to assist the provider to monitor and improve its care and treatment of people. The service had built local community links to benefit the lives of people using the service.

This service met characteristics of Good in all areas; More information is in the 'Detailed Findings' below.

Rating at last inspection: Good. The last report for Wanderers House was published in January 2016.

About the service: Wanderers House is a residential care home that provides personal care for up to seven people with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection seven people lived at the home.

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.

Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection that was scheduled to take place in line with Care Quality Commission scheduling guidelines for adult social care services.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service to ensure it meets its regulatory requirements