Fairmead

Updated 1 April 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

Fairmead 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.

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 reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. Due to technical problems, the provider was not able to complete a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the manager, deputy manager, senior care workers and care workers. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records including medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 1 April 2020

Fairmead is a residential care home registered to provide personal care for up to three people, with learning disabilities and on the autism spectrum. The care home was set over two floors in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were three people living in the service.

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

People felt safe at the service and their belongings and finances were protected. There were processes in place to ensure staff knew how to protect people from abuse and where to escalate concerns if they needed to. Medicines were managed safely to ensure people received their medicines when they needed them. The service was working with GPs to reduce the number of medicines people took to ensure they were only taking what was needed. People had their health and wellbeing assessed and risk assessments were individual to each person based on their needs. There were robust recruitment practices in place which were followed when recruiting new staff.

People were supported to maintain their health and wellbeing in line with recommended guidance. Staff received training and development to be able to support people safely which included learning more about specific conditions related to the needs of the people who used the service such as autism. Staff were supported to develop within the service and to achieve additional qualifications. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight. They were given choices about what they ate and drank.

Staff were kind and caring when they supported people and gave emotional support when needed. People were comfortable with staff and responded well to them. Staff knew people well and were able to communicate with people individually based on their abilities. People were involved in making decisions about their care. People had their privacy and dignity protected.

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 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.

People, staff and healthcare professionals spoke highly of the manager and found them to be approachable. People were involved in the service. There were systems in place which supported monitoring the quality of the service provided to drive improvement. The provider and manager were actively involved in initiatives to improve the quality of care that people received and had been nominated for awards for their work with people at 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 26 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.