Bamburgh House

Updated 29 June 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on 31 May and 5th June 2018. It was undertaken by one inspector. The inspection went over two days as people were out on the first day of inspection so we returned so we could talk to them.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, including previous inspection reports. We contacted the local authority to obtain their views about the care provided. We considered the information which had been shared with us by the local authority and other people, looked at safeguarding notifications which had been submitted. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form in which we ask the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well, and improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we observed how the staff interacted with people and we spent time observing the support and care provided to help us understand their experiences of living in the service. We observed care and support in the communal areas, the midday meal, and we looked around the service. Some people were able to talk with us about the service they received but others could not. We briefly 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.

During the inspection we reviewed the records at the service. These included four staff files which contained staff recruitment, training and supervision records. Also, medicine records, complaints, accidents and incidents, quality audits and policies and procedures along with information in regard to the upkeep of the premises.

We looked at three people's care documentation along with other relevant records to support our findings. We also 'pathway tracked' people living at the service. This is when we looked at their care documentation in depth and obtained information about their care and treatment at the service. It is an important part of our inspection, as it allowed us to capture information about a sample of people receiving care.

During the inspection we spoke with two people, four staff, a visiting advocate, the deputy manager and the registered manager. The inspection team also spent time observing people in areas throughout the service and were able to see the interaction between people and staff. This helped us understand the experience of people who did not wish to or could not talk with us.

Updated 29 June 2018

Bamburgh House is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and personal care as a single package under a contractual agreement with the local authority, health authority or the individual, if privately funded. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Bamburgh House provides accommodation and personal care for up to three people who have a learning disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder. Bamburgh House is a detached chalet bungalow style property with a first floor self contained flat and has been adapted for the purpose. The service is situated in a residential area of Thorrington, Colchester and is close to local amenities. Each person using the service has their own individual bedroom and adequate communal facilities are available for people to make use of within the service. At the time of our inspection three people were using the service.

At our last inspection of this service on 30 November 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People continued to feel safe. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to safeguard people from the risk of harm and risks to people were assessed and monitored regularly. Staffing levels ensured that people's care and support needs were continued to be met safely and safe recruitment processes continued to be in place.

Medicines continued to be managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People continued to be supported by staff who had the right skills, knowledge and experience. CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS applications had been made to ensure that people were only deprived of their liberty, when it had been assessed as lawful to do so.

People's needs and choices continued to be assessed and their care provided in line with up to date guidance and best practice. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and all health needs were met with the support from staff.

People continued to have access to healthcare services and were involved in monitoring their health needs. Staff understood how to prevent and manage behaviours that may challenge the service.

People had developed positive relationships with staff and there was a friendly, calm, relaxed atmosphere within the service. Staff knew people's likes, dislikes and preferences well and supported them to engage in activities of interest.

People continued to be treated with dignity and respect and staff ensured their privacy was maintained. People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided.

There were policies and systems in place that ensured people would be listened to and treated fairly if they complained about the service.

The service was kept clean and hygienic. People were protected by the prevention and control of infection.

There were systems in place to monitor incidents and accidents. There were arrangements in place for the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong, to improve safety across the service.

The organisation's visions and values centred around the people they supported, which ensured their equality, diversity and human rights were respected.

Quality assurance audits were carried out to identify any shortfalls within the service and how the service could improve.

Further information is in the detailed findings below and in our last comprehensive report completed for the service.