Background to this inspection
Updated
9 February 2016
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.
This inspection took place on 9 November 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an expert by experience. The expert by experience had personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
We looked at the information we held about the service. This included notifications the home had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
We spoke with the majority of the 20 people who used the service; 11 people spoke with us in depth about their experiences regarding their stay.
We spoke with the registered manager, seven support workers, an occupational therapist assistant, three visitors and a health care professional. We looked at three people’s care and support records, staff training records, two staff recruitment files and the quality monitoring audits. We did this to gain people’s views about the care and to check that standards of care were being met.
We also gathered information about the service provided from other sources. We contacted the commissioners of the service; commissioners are people who fund placements and packages of care and have responsibility to monitor the quality of service provided. We contacted Healthwatch Stafford; Healthwatch helps adults, young people and children speak up about health and social care services in Stafford.
Updated
9 February 2016
We inspected this service on 9 November 2015. This was an unannounced inspection. At the previous inspection in July 2013, we identified a breach of the Regulations. We told the provider that improvements were required in regard to the quality and accuracy of records. At this inspection we found some improvements had been made but further improvements were needed to ensure all records were completed in full to ensure people received safe, consistent and reliable care and treatment.
Living Independently Staffordshire - Brighton House Care Home provides short term care and support for 26 people who need enablement, assessment or respite care. At the time of this inspection 20 people used the service.
The service had a registered manager. 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.
Care and support plans did not offer a holistic view of people’s care and support needs. Staff demonstrated they had a good knowledge and understanding of people’s individual needs and the risk of harm as a result of poor record keeping was low.
Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were identified, recorded and managed. Staff understood how to keep people safe and they helped people to understand risks. Medicines were managed safely by staff who were skilled to administer medicines.
There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s care and support needs. Staff received regular training and supervision that provided them with the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs. Staff were only employed after all essential pre-employment safety checks had been satisfactorily completed.
Staff supported people to make decisions about their care by helping people to understand the information they needed to make informed decisions. Some people who used the service were unable to make certain decisions about their care. In these circumstances the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) were being followed.
People told us they enjoyed the food, had plenty to eat and drink and had lots of choice. Where people needed support with eating, staff provided the level of support that each individual person required. Following assessment and as part of their enablement plan some people prepared their own meals.
People had access to and were supported by a team of health care professionals. People were treated with kindness, consideration and respect and staff promoted people’s independence and right to privacy.
People were aware of the complaints procedure and knew how and to whom they could raise their concerns.
People told us the registered manager and staff were supportive and helpful. Checks were made on a regular basis to ensure the quality and safety of the service.
The registered manager and provider regularly assessed and monitored the quality of care to ensure standards were met and maintained. The registered manager understood the requirements of their registration with us and reported significant events in accordance with their registration requirements.