Milner House

Updated 26 February 2020

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 carried out by one inspector

Service and service type

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

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included notifications of important events the provider has to share with us. 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. This information helps support our inspections. We sought feedback from the local authority and health professionals who work with the service such as Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed staff interactions with one person who used the service. We spoke with the registered manager, a team leader and a senior support worker. We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care and medication records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection

The registered manager sent us additional information to validate evidence found. We also received feedback from one healthcare professional and two relatives about their experience of the care provided.

Updated 26 February 2020

About the service

Milner House is a residential respite service providing accommodation and personal care for up to three people. Respite is planned or emergency temporary care. The service accommodates older people or children aged between 16-18 years old, who are living with a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder, dementia or a mental health condition. On the day of our visit, only one person was using the service, but other people were due to use the service during our inspection period. Milner House accommodates people over a ground floor. People have their own bedroom and en-suite facilities. There is also a shared kitchen, living space and garden.

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.

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

People continued to be protected from the risk of abuse because systems and processes supported this practice. Risks to the environment and people’s health had been identified, assessed and managed safely. Medicines were managed safely. The home was clean, tidy and odour free and staff followed good infection control processes.

There were enough staff to keep people safe and staff had been recruited safely. There was a regular training programme which gave staff the right knowledge and skills for their roles. Positive feedback was received about the caring nature of staff and staff were committed to providing person centred 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.

The service applied 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 service was committed to ensuring people who used the service continued with their usual hobbies and routines.

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 and become more independent.

People were referred to healthcare services where necessary, and the provider worked in partnership with other health agencies to support a smooth transition between services. A healthy lifestyle was promoted and people had free access to food and drinks of their choice.

Systems and processes monitored the quality of the service provided. This included regular checks on the safety of the environment and the quality of care people receive. We received positive feedback about the management of the service and there was an open culture where people, relatives and staff felt able to raise concerns. Any concerns were investigated thoroughly. The provider was committed to continuously improving 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 01 September 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.