The Corner House

About the service

The Corner House is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 3 people. The service provides support to people with learning disabilities and autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 3 people using the service. The service had 3 bedrooms, a communal bathroom, lounge and dining area and a large accessible garden.

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

Right Support:

Staff were recruited safely, there were sufficient numbers of staff with the necessary training to support people safely and meet their needs. People were protected from the risk of abuse and relatives told us they felt the service was safe. Risks to people and staff had been assessed and people's care plans were regularly reviewed and updated. Staff supported people to maintain their health by accessing healthcare services which positively supported their health.

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.

Right Care:

Staff understood how to promote people's independence and ensured the care they provided treated people with dignity and respect. Staff had received training in equality and diversity and staff supported people to express their views. People's communication needs were considered and met. Medicines were managed safely, and we were assured that the provider had sufficient infection, prevention and control measures in place.

Right Culture:

There was a positive, person-centred culture within the service, people were empowered and included. The registered manager understood their responsibilities and had effective audit systems in place. People's needs were assessed prior to them receiving care and support from the service. People's needs and preferences were highlighted in their care plans for staff to follow.

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 19 October 2019)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

The Corner House is a residential care home providing personal care people with learning disabilities and autism. The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service was a three bedroomed house. It is registered for the support of up to three people and three people were using the service.

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

The provider had not always used their audits effectively to reflect on actions or trends. The staff had not always been supported in a formal way, this meant we could not be sure all aspects of improvement would be recorded or considered.

People were safe, and staff understood how to raise a safeguard or how to protect people from the risk of infection. There were sufficient staff and all staff had been recruited to reflect checks in relation to references and criminal records. Medicines were managed safely.

Staff had received training for their role and understood current guidance on care for people’s long-term conditions. People were supported to have choices for their meals and their nutritional needs supported. Health care needs were reviewed, and action taken to maintain people’s wellbeing. This reflected all aspects of health including oral care.

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.

People’s views had been obtained to encourage or drive improvements. There was a homely atmosphere and people were able to enjoy their environment as they wished. People had established positive relationships with people and told us they felt staff were kind and caring. Respect was show to people and their dignity maintained. Relationships had been supported and any information was stored confidentially.

The care plans were detailed and had been reviewed to ensure any changes had been documented and shared with the staff team. Communication methods were suited to the individual.

There was a complaints policy in place. The previous rating was displayed within the home and on the providers website links. The provider had sent us notifications about significant events and the outcomes following their investigations or actions.

The service consistently apply the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.

As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people. The service used some restrictive intervention practices as a last resort, in a person-centred way, in line with positive behaviour support principles.

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 (17 June 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.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

Staff were aware of the need to keep people safe and to protect them from the risk of avoidable harm. Staff were aware of safeguarding procedures to ensure that any allegation of abuse was recorded and reported to the appropriate authority.

People were cared for and supported by staff who had demonstrated their suitability for their respective role. Recruitment procedures were safe and included Disclosure and Barring service (DBS) checks. Enough staff were available to meet people’s needs.

People’s medicines were managed safely and in accordance with current regulations and guidance. There were systems in place to ensure medicines were safely stored, administered and disposed of.

The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards had been met. Capacity assessments and best interest decisions were included in people’s care plans.

The provider arranged for staff training to ensure they provided appropriate and effective care and support for people. The service was maintained and decorated in a manner that reflected the needs and personalities of each person.

People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink; meals and menus were prepared by people and staff together. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to appropriate healthcare professionals.

The service was person centred and accounted for personal likes, dislikes, needs and preferences. Staff encouraged people to make their own day to day decisions and staff respected those decisions whilst ensuring and being aware of people’s safety.

The staff supported each person in a professional manner whilst being aware of promoting their independence. People were encouraged to fulfil and meet their aspirations and take part in activities of their choice. People’s right to privacy and dignity was promoted and respected by staff.

Staff felt they were supported by the management team and there was good team work being carried out. Meetings took place with the people living at the service to collect their opinions and views. Effective auditing systems were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. There were systems in place to identify, minimise and manage risks to people’s safety and welfare in the environment.