Archived: Stoke Green

Updated 29 July 2016

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.

This inspection took place on 14 June 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location is a small service for younger adults who are often out during the daytime. We needed to be sure that someone would be in. The visit was carried out by one inspector.

Before the visit we spoke to the local authority commissioning team and asked if they had any information about the service. Commissioners are people who contract service, and monitor the care and support when services are paid for by the local authority. They were satisfied with the quality of care provided.

We reviewed the information we held about the service and the statutory notifications that the registered manager had sent to us. A statutory notification is information about an important event which the provider is required to send us by law. These may be any changes which relate to the service and can include safeguarding referrals, notifications of deaths and serious injuries.

As part of our inspection we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR 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. Our visit reflected the information contained within the PIR.

During the visit we spoke to two people who lived at the home, the registered manager, the team leader and three support workers. We also carried out a SOFI observation. SOFI is a 'Short Observational Framework for Inspection' tool that is used to capture the experiences of people who may not be able to tell us about the service they receive. Following the visit we spoke with one health professional and two people’s relatives.

We reviewed two people's care plans and daily records to see how their support was planned and delivered. We reviewed records of checks the staff and the management team made to assure themselves people received a quality service.

Updated 29 July 2016

The inspection took place on 14 June 2016 and was announced. Stoke Green provides care and accommodation for up to 9 people with learning disabilities. At the time of our visit 4 people lived at the home. Accommodation was provided in a large detached house in a quiet residential street.

A registered manager was 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.

There were enough suitably trained staff to keep people safe. They had received training to ensure they understood their responsibilities to report any observed or suspected abuse.

Detailed risk assessments and management plans were in place to manage the identified risks. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks associated with peoples care and support. Medicines were managed safely so people received their medication as prescribed.

New staff received an induction and recruitment checks were carried out prior to staff starting work at the home to make sure they were suitable for employment.

Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to ensure people were looked after in a way that did not inappropriately restrict their freedom.

The home had a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Staff told us they enjoyed working there. We saw staff were patient, responsive to people's needs and had good knowledge of how they preferred their support to be provided. Staff respected and understood people's need for privacy and promoted their independence.

People chose to take part in daily activities in the home and their local community.

People were involved in menu planning and their nutritional needs were met.

People were supported to maintain their health and well-being and the staff maintained relationships with health professionals.

People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint. A system was in place to manage complaints received about the service.

Staff had a good understanding of their responsibilities and staff felt supported by the provider's management team.

Effective systems to monitor the quality of the service and make any necessary improvements were in place. The views of people, their relatives and the staff were sought and listened to.