Archived: Spode Close

Updated 27 August 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 three inspectors.

Service and service type

Spode Close is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The 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. This information helps support our inspections. We asked the registered manager to provide us with electronic copies of various records such as recruitment records, oral health care plans, complaints, surveys and staff training records. We obtained feedback from staff, professionals and from the relatives of people living at Spode Close

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We used a Makaton questionnaire to obtain feedback from a person who did not communicate verbally. Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. We reviewed a range of records. These included three people's care records and medication records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including health and safety records, accidents/incidents logs and quality assurance systems.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 27 August 2020

About the service

Spode Close is a residential care home which was providing care to three people living with learning disabilities at the time of the inspection. Spode Close is a purpose-built block of self-contained studio style apartments. The service can provide accommodation and support for up to seven people with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disabilities or a combination of these kinds of impairment.

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 of 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 using the service felt safe. Staff had received training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and they felt confident in how to report these types of concerns. People had risk assessments in place to enable them to be as independent as they could be in a safe manner. There were sufficient staff with the correct skill mix on duty to support people with their needs and keep them safe. Effective and safe recruitment processes were consistently followed by the provider. Medicines were managed safely.

People were cared for in a clean and homely environment by staff who were caring, competent and knowledgeable about people's needs. Training and supervision were arranged to ensure staff had the skills that were necessary to carry out their role. Staff spoke positively about working for the service and said that they received support from the management team. People were provided with 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 promoted this practice. Staff supported people to maintain a healthy diet in line with their assessed needs. People were assisted to access health care if this was needed.

Assessments and support plans were in place identifying what was important to people and how people needed to be supported. The support people received was centred around them and they were involved in any decisions made regarding their care. Staff supported people to enjoy a range of activities which reflected people's individual interests. The provider had a complaint's process which people were aware of to share any concerns. At the time of the inspection, no one was being supported at the end of their life.

People and staff felt supported by the registered manager. The provider had effective systems and processes in place to ensure the quality and safety of service. Spot checks and audits were completed to ensure the quality of the service was maintained. Some of the relatives of people living at Spode Close told us that communication could be improved as they did not always feel informed about and involved in the care of people using the service.

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 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.

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

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was inadequate (published 22 January 2020). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

This service has been in Special Measures since 21 January 2021. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements had been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 10 December 2019. Multiple breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do improve and set up a timeframe for improvement action. The service needed improvement in the following areas: notifications of other incidents, person-centred care, safe care and treatment, safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment, receiving and acting on complaints, good governance and staffing.

We undertook the latest focused inspection to check whether they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from inadequate to requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Spode Close on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.