Archived: 27 Islip Road

Updated 14 September 2015

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 inspection took place on 13 August 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of three inspectors.

Before the visit we looked at previous inspection reports and notifications we had received. Services tell us about important events relating to the care they provide using a notification. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing potential areas of concern. We contacted local professionals to obtain their views on the quality of the service provided to people.

During the inspection we looked around the home and observed the way staff interacted with people. We spoke with four people and two people's relatives. We also spoke with the deputy manager, the area manager and three care staff. We looked at records, which included five people’s care records, the medication administration records (MAR) for all people at the home and three staff files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 14 September 2015

We inspected this service on 13 August 2015. This was an unannounced inspection. 27 Islip Road is registered to provide accommodation for up to 10 people with a learning disability who require personal care. At the time of the inspection there were eight people living at the service.

At a previous inspection of this service in March 2015 we found medicines were not always managed in a safe way, the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were not always followed, and people's records were not always accurate. In addition we found that staff were not always adequately supported to deliver care to service users safely and to a sufficient standard and the registered person had not made the Care Quality Commission (CQC) aware of some notifiable incidents.

Following the inspection in March 2015, we asked the provider to write to us to say what they would do to make improvements. We also issued the provider and registered manager with a warning notice stating the service must make improvements by 30 May 2015 to ensure people received care that was planned and delivered in a way that met their individual needs and ensured their safety and welfare. We told the provider they could not admit any new people to the service.

We undertook this inspection to check that the provider had followed their action plan and to confirm the service now met legal requirements. We found the provider had taken the actions and made the required improvements.

People told us they were happy living at the service. People were cared for in a kind and respectful way. Staff engaged with people and offered support to promote people’s independence. Staff knew the people they cared for and what was important to them. People's choices and wishes were respected by care staff and recorded in an individual Person Centred Plan. People had been involved in reviewing their care. People had a range of individualised risk assessments in place to help them maintain their independence. Ensuring updated risk assessments were always made available to staff in a timely way was an area that required further improvement.

The health needs of people were being met. Staff had received support from healthcare professionals and worked together with them to ensure people's individual needs were being managed.

Appropriate arrangements were in place to manage people's medicines safely. Medicines were stored and administered safety.

People told us they had access to a range of activities and events according to their wishes. We observed people enjoying activities in the home and the home had a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Further improvements had recently been made to the service to ensure people lived in a comfortable and homely environment. People told us they were involved in making decisions regarding the refurbishment of the service.

The provider, registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People’s mental capacity had been reflected in their care records. People told us their wishes had been respected.

A new manager was in post because the registered manager had left the service following our last inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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. The new manager was in the process of applying for registration with the CQC. A deputy manager and some new staff had been recruited and steps were being taken to recruit to other vacancies.

People and staff were complimentary about the new management team and the changes that had taken place within the service. Relatives felt some of the “homely feel” had been lost since the changes had taken place.

People knew how to make a complaint if required. The management team sought feedback from people and their relatives and was striving to further improve the quality of the service.

Action had been taken to ensure staff had received support including, training, regular meetings, one to one and group supervision.