Archived: Respite Unit for adults with learning disabilities - 32 Kentish Road

Updated 10 January 2017

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.

The inspection took place on 9, 10 and 15 November 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Before the inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications about important events which the service is required to send us by law and our previous inspection report. The registered manager completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to the inspection, which we also reviewed. 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.

During the inspection we spoke with three people using the service, one relative, five members of staff and the provider’s representative. We looked at the care plans and associated records for five people as well as records of meetings and audits.

Updated 10 January 2017

When we last inspected the Respite Unit for Adults with Learning Disabilities 32 Kentish Road on 14 and 15 October 2015 we found the provider was providing some aspects of people’s care and support without gaining consent and staff had not been supported through supervision and appraisal. During this inspection we found the provider had made some improvements but we also identified new concerns. The provider was displaying their ratings certificate from the previous inspection in a conspicuous place to meet the regulation which requires them to do so.

32 Kentish Road is Southampton City Council’s respite service for adults with learning disabilities. It is registered to provide accommodation and care to a maximum of eight people at a time. People generally stayed at the service for several nights to a week, but could stay more or less depending on their needs. Respite stays were booked in advance but emergency and short notice stays could be arranged when necessary. Some people using the respite service continued to attend day services during their stay which meant there were less people in the building during the day.

This inspection took place on 9, 10 and 15 November 2016 and was unannounced.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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.

Some care and support was provided without gaining the person’s consent and some people’s privacy was not protected. Issues of concern had not been identified through the use of quality assurance.

People felt safe staying at the service. The staff team had received training in safeguarding adults and were aware of how to follow safeguarding procedures. People had risk assessments in place to ensure every day risks were identified and minimised where possible, whilst still enabling people to do what they wanted to do. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People enjoyed their meals and could choose what they ate. People made decisions about how they spent their time and what support they needed. They chose what activities they took part in and went out with staff support. Staff worked with health care professionals and supported people to see the doctor if necessary. People told us there was enough staff working at the service to support them. New staff had been transferred into the service following a process of induction and shadowing.

Positive caring relationships were developed with people using the service. People’s individual needs were known and their respite breaks were planned to ensure they had an enjoyable stay. Staff ensured they supported people with their personal care in ways which respected their dignity.

Staff knew people well and provided a service which was responsive to their individual needs. There was a complaints procedure in place and people felt able to complain.

The future of the service has remained uncertain as the service is planned for closure. During the inspection we identified concerns which had not been identified through the governance of the service. The provider sought feedback from people using the service and their responses were positive.

We identified breaches of two regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and made a recommendation with regard to quality assurance and you can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.