Charlton House

Updated 23 July 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

A single inspector completed the inspection.

Service and service type

Charlton House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Charlton House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

The service was required to have 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. At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. The provider had made interim arrangements to manage the service and the new manger was in the process of making an application to CQC to become a registered manager.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included details about incidents the provider must tell us about, such as any safeguarding alerts that had been raised. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We sought feedback from commissioners and the local authority safeguarding team. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people and one relative of people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of care staff, the manager and the quality assurance director. We carried out observations of care provided in the communal areas. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records, five staff files in relation to recruitment and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at a range of records related to medicine management, staff recruitment and training, deprivation of liberties, fire safety and quality assurance records were also reviewed.

Updated 23 July 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Charlton House is a residential care home providing personal care for up to five people in one building. The service provides support to younger adults with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were two people using the service.

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

The service was not able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right culture:

The quality assurance system and processes had failed to identify and correct issues we found at the inspection. However, we found some positive aspects of culture as well. The manager and staff worked with other external professionals to ensure people were supported to meet their needs. The provider had a system to manage accidents and incidents. There was a management structure at the service and staff were aware of the roles of the management team. The manager and staff worked as a team and in partnership with a range of professionals and acted on their advice. Staff received support through training, supervision and staff meetings to ensure they could meet people’s needs. Staff told us they felt supported and could approach the manager at any time for support.

Right support:

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. People’s care plans reflected their current needs. People were protected from the risk of infection. People were treated with dignity; their privacy was respected and they were supported to be as independent in their care as possible.

Right care:

People’s care records were in line with the Accessible Information Standard. People and their relatives were encouraged to participate in making decisions about their care and support. An assessment of people’s needs had been completed to ensure these could be met by staff. Staff showed an understanding of equality and diversity. Staff respected people’s choices and preferences. The manager knew what to do if someone required end of life care.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 12/03/2021 and this is their first inspection.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

Enforcement and recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified a breach in relation to quality assurance at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take, at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.