Archived: Arran

Updated 15 July 2017

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 was 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 took place on 21 June 2017 and was carried out by an adult social care inspector.

To help us to plan and identify areas to focus on in the inspection we considered all the information we held about the service, such as notifications from the home. We also asked the provider to complete a provider information return [PIR] which helped us to prepare for the inspection. This is a document that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.

We also requested the views of professionals who may have visited the home, such as service commissioners and Healthwatch Rotherham. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

At the time of our inspection there were three people living at Arran. We spoke with two of them and observed how staff supported them. We spoke with the registered manager and three care workers, who all worked across the company’s three homes. One was working at Arran on the day of our inspection and the other two were working at another of the provider’s homes, Canna.

We looked at documentation relating to people who used the service and staff, as well as the management of the home. This included reviewing two people’s care and medication records, staff rotas, training records, three staff recruitment files, training and support records, audits, policies and procedures.

Updated 15 July 2017

Arran is a care home which provides care and support for up to three people who have learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. The home is part of the House of Light Trust, which is a non-profit making organisation. Arran is situated near to Rotherham town centre with easy access to public transport and local amenities.

This unannounced inspection took place on 21 June 2017. The home was previously inspected in March 2015 when we rated it as ‘Good’. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Arran’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk’

The service had a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they enjoyed living at Arran and were very happy with the care and support they received.

Systems were in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding people and were able to explain the procedures to follow should an concerns be raised.

People were encouraged to be as independent as possible, while staff took into consideration their wishes, and any risks associated with supporting them. We saw people using the service received good support from staff who knew them well, and whose main aim was to support people to have the kind of life they wanted.

People received their medications in a safe and timely way from staff who had been trained to carry out this role.

The recruitment system helped the employer make safer recruitment decisions when employing new staff. New staff had received a structured induction and essential training at the beginning of their employment. An on-going training and support programme ensured staff maintained and developed their knowledge and skills.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People received a well-balanced diet that they were involved in choosing, shopping for and helping to prepare.

People’s care files provided detailed information about the areas they needed support in and reflected their preferences, which enables staff to provide individualised care. Support plans and risk assessments had been regularly evaluated to ensure they were meeting each person’s needs, while supporting them to reach their aims and objectives in a safe way.

People had access to social activities and education which were tailored to their individual needs and interests. The people we spoke with told us they enjoyed the activities they took part in.

The provider had a complaints policy to guide people on how to raise concerns and there was a structured system in place for recording the detail and outcome of any concerns raised. This was also available in an easy to read version that used pictures to help people understand the process.

There was a system in place to enable people to share their opinion of the service provided. We also saw an audit system had been used to check if company policies had been followed and the premises were safe and well maintained.