4 November 2015
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 4 November 2015 and was unannounced.
The provider for 197 Henwick Road is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to four people, who may have a learning disability. On the day of the inspection there were four people living at the home.
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.
Although the provider had policies and systems in place for the safe administration of medication, we found they were not always followed, so could not always make sure people’s safety and well-being was promoted.
Staff were trained and understood their responsibilities in the prevention and reporting of potential harm and abuse. Checks had been made to ensure new staff were suitable to work with people who lived in the home before starting working. However we found the provider’s recruitment procedures were not followed as not all agency staff had signed to say they had completed an induction process to the home as per the provider’s policy.
Risks to people had been assessed and staff knew how to reduce risks for people they cared for enabling them to keep people safe. Staff understood their responsibility in dealing with and reporting accidents and incidents that may occur. The manager had systems in place to monitor them and reduce the likelihood of them happening again.
People enjoyed the food provided and were supported to eat and drink enough to keep them healthy. When people were supported at mealtimes, staff sat at the table with them, to make it a pleasurable experience and maintain the people’s dignity. When it was required people had access to other professionals, so maintaining their health needs.
We saw staff supported people with kindness, respecting their dignity and privacy whilst enabling them to keep as much independence as possible. As some people were unable to speak, pictorial alternatives were used, to allow people to make choices about their support.
People received care that was personal to them because their personal preferences were recorded in their care plans for staff to follow. Staff responded to changes in people’s wellbeing and supported them as necessary.
Quality audits were not always performed so placing people at potential risk.
People knew how to make a complaint and felt able to raised concerns with either staff or management. Complaints were responded to and monitored for future learning. The opinions of relatives and people living in the home were taken into account, for future development of the service.