Archived: Trumpington Road

At the previous inspection in September 2016 the service was rated as Requires Improvement and we found one breach of the legal requirements. This was because the service did not always record actions specified in risk assessments. Also we made recommendations that the service followed best practise on providing information to people with learning disabilities and supporting people who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. This unannounced inspection took place on 5 September 2017 and we found significant improvements had been made.

There was a registered manager 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.

The experiences of people who lived at the service were positive. People and their relatives told us they felt the service was safe, staff were kind and the care they received was good. We found staff had a good understanding of their responsibility with regard to safeguarding adults.

Risk assessments were in place which provided guidance on how to support people safely. There was enough staff to meet people’s needs. Medicines were managed in a safe manner. There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff employed by the service. Staff had been recruited safely with appropriate checks on their backgrounds completed.

Staff undertook training and received regular supervision to help support them to provide effective care. Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). MCA and DoLS is law protecting people who are unable to make decisions for themselves or whom the state has decided their liberty needs to be deprived in their own best interests. We saw people were able to choose what they ate and drank.

Person centred support plans were in place and people and their relatives were involved in planning the care and support the received.

People’s cultural and religious needs were respected when planning and delivering care. Discussions with staff members showed that they respected people’s sexual orientation so that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people could feel accepted and welcomed in the service.

People had access to a wide variety of activities within the community. The provider had a complaint procedure in place. People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint.

Staff told us the registered manager was approachable and open. The service had various quality assurance and monitoring mechanisms in place. These included surveys, audits and staff and resident meetings.

The service had a registered manager who was on annual leave 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.

We inspected Trumpington Road on 16 and19 September 2016. This was an unannounced inspection. At this inspection we found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (regulated activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we asked the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

The service was not always safe. Monitoring of actions associated with people’s risk assessments was not always evident.

Staff told us there was not always enough staff available at the service to meet the needs of people using the service for emergency or unplanned respite care.

Agency staff did not receive up to date supervision. Staff had mixed views about the leadership of the service.

Effective systems were in place for managing medicines and infection control and to maintain the safety of the premises.

People told us they felt safe using the service and staff knew how to report safeguarding concerns. People knew how to make a complaint.

People told us the service was caring. Staff knew the people they were supporting, respected people’s privacy and encouraged independence. People using the service had access to healthcare professionals as required to meet their needs.

The service enabled people to maintain links with their cultural and religious practices. People had access to activities of their choice.

People’s needs were assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care and support needs. People were provided with a choice of food and drinks ensuring their nutritional needs were met.

The systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service provided.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe. One relative we spoke with told us they felt their relative was safe with staff at Trumpington Road. Staff we spoke to told us they received safeguarding vulnerable adults training. We viewed staff files and saw documentary evidence of training attended by staff which verified they had attended this training.

People we spoke with told us they were "happy" with the premises. One relative we spoke with told us it was "accessible" and his son "can move his chair around." The provider has taken steps to provide care in an environment that is suitably designed and adequately maintained.

Appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work. Staff we spoke with told us before they took up their roles they had a criminal records check and provided two appropriate references. Staff files and records we reviewed verified this.

People who used the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on. There was documentary evidence from 'residents meetings'. We reviewed a sample of these minutes and found people could give their views about what activities they participated in, provide feedback about their key workers and the home's menu.