Anchor House

Updated 9 September 2020

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place. As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

This inspection took place on 27 August 2020 and was announced. The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control.

Updated 9 September 2020

Anchor House 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.

Anchor House is registered to accommodate up to seven people. At the time of our inspection seven people with learning disabilities were living there. The home consists of a main building with bedrooms, an office, a kitchen, a dining area and lounge.

The service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. At this inspection we found the service remained good overall.

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.

Staff cared about the well being of people living in the home and knew how they preferred their care and support to be given. We received positive feedback from relatives and people about the kindness of staff. Staff understood how to identify and report abuse and were well supported in their roles. Staff received training to enable them to carry out their roles competently.

People were supported by safely recruited staff and there were enough appropriately trained and experienced staff to support people in ways that suited them. Communication styles and methods were tailored to individual people and staff supported people to understand the choices available to them.

People were supported to make choices about how they spent their days. Staff had a good knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and promoted independence and choice. Where people were not able to make a specific decision, staff acted in accordance with the MCA.

People were enabled to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

People’s health care needs were met and staff supported them to see healthcare professionals when appropriate. They were supported to take their medicines safely by staff who had received the appropriate levels of training.

People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect by a staff team who knew them very well.

There was a clear complaints policy and relatives told us they knew how to make a complaint if the needed to and felt any concerns would be taken seriously and action taken straight away.

There were quality assurance systems in place to drive improvement and ensure the home offered a safe, effective, caring and responsive service.