Roman Park

Updated 22 October 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Roman Park is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. This information helps support our inspections. We used all information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with five people who used the service and three visiting relatives to find out about their experience of the care provided. We observed staff engaging with people in the communal areas of the service.

We spoke with six members of staff including the provider, the registered manager, assistant manager, senior carer, care staff and the housekeeper.

We reviewed a range of records about people’s care and support. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including accident and incident reports and quality assurance records were reviewed.

Updated 22 October 2019

About the service

Roman Park is a residential care home providing personal care and support to people with a learning disability at the time of the inspection.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to 14 people. 12 people were using the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However. the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff did not wear anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People and their families were very positive about the care and support provided at the service. Relatives spoke of positive relationships between staff and people who used the service. One relative said, “They are like family here.”

People were cared for by trained staff who knew how to protect them and keep them safe from harm. Appropriate numbers of staff were available to meet people’s needs and people told us staff were always accessible. People received their medicines in a timely way and systems were in place to safely manage medicines. Accidents and Incidents were investigated fully with actions taken to avoid recurrence. The home was clean and tidy. Staff followed infection control procedures.

Care plans were complete and current. Care was delivered in a way that met good practice guidance and current legislation. Staff were well-trained and knew the specific needs and preferences of people living there. People had a variety of food choices each day and were complimentary of the quality of the food. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were caring towards the people using the service. The service had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Staff were observed to work with people in a kind and patient manner that promoted their dignity. People using the service told us they felt they had a voice and felt respected by staff and management. Family members of people using the service told us they felt listened to, were always welcome and were actively involved in the lives of their loved ones.

Staff were responsive to people’s specific needs and preferences. All staff had extensive knowledge about people using the service. One person told us, ‘ I like [staff member] because they know what I like and don’t like.’ Staff assisted people to pursue their desired outcomes at a pace suited to them. People could choose activities they enjoyed. A visiting professional told us, ‘Everyone is doing something when I visit, it has a nice vibe.’ People whose conditions changed were promptly referred for medical reviews.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills, pursue their interests and become more independent.

The registered manager was referred to as ‘friendly’ and ‘like family’ by people using the service. Family members of people using the service told us the registered manager was approachable and acted quickly on any issues they might present. The registered manager had quality assurance systems in place to monitor service delivery and quality. The management team of this service has been stable for many years and this was reflected in a low staff turnover rate. Staff praised the leadership of the registered manager for creating a positive environment for them and for people using the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 23 February 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.