Archived: Stickley Lane

The service had been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties and larger than those in the area. It was registered for the support of up to six people. Six people were using the service. This is in line with current best practice guidance. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home.

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

People did not always receive safe care. Where safeguarding concerns arose, these were not consistently identified and referred to the appropriate body. Whilst some checks to ensure staff were competent to administer medicines had been recorded this was not consistent. Staff had been recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Personal protective equipment was used when required.

People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to do so effectively and the service worked with relevant healthcare professionals when appropriate. People received support to eat and drink meals of their choosing and specialist dietary needs were met.

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 did not always support this practice. Mental capacity decisions were recorded but the evidence of how these decisions had been assessed and how people were included was not.

People were supported by kind and caring staff who respected their privacy and dignity and supported their independence.

Records held personalised information about people and staff knew people's preferences with regards to their care. People were supported to access the community on a regular basis and carry out activities

in line with their hobbies and interests. The provider had a complaints process to share any concerns.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that 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. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People, relatives and staff felt the management team were approachable and supportive. Whilst some audits and checks were in place at the service further improvements were required in order to make them more robust. There had been a failure to notify CQC of all incidents that had happened 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 02 June 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to governance, safeguarding and in the provider’s failure to notify the commission of allegations of abuse.

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 for 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.

People continued to receive support that was safe and staff knew how to keep them safe. There were still enough staff to keep people safe and people received the medicines as it was prescribed for them.

The support people received continued to be effective. People made decisions as to how they were supported. People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. Staff were supported so they had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs.

People continued to receive care that was good. People were supported by staff to make choices as to how the service met their needs. People’s privacy, dignity and independence was respected.

The service continued to be responsive to how people’s needs were met. People were involved in how decisions were made about the support they received and any reviews that took place. People knew how to raise complaints if they had any concerns about the service they received.

The service continued to be well led. The provider ensured the appropriate checks and audits took place to ensure the quality of the service was maintained. People were encouraged to share their views on the service by way of completing questionnaires. The provider ensured people received a service that was warm and welcoming to them.

People's care was planned in detail and delivered in a person centred way. People at the home were happy and comfortable. One person said, 'It is nice here.'

People received appropriate nutrition that met their individual needs. We found that the planning and delivery of people's requirements related to food and fluid intake were effective.

We found that selection and recruitment processes were robust to ensure that only suitable staff were employed to work with people. We asked one person what the staff were like. They said, 'They are nice.'

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of service provided. People and their relatives had different opportunities to provide their views on the service.

We saw that people were well presented and wore clothes that reflected their own preferences, style, and gender. We found that people were asked for their consent before care was delivered.

We found that staff were aware of people's needs and preferences. People received care from other health professionals in a timely manner. One person said, 'I like it here.'

Arrangements were in place to ensure that people received their medicines as prescribed, and in a safe manner.

We found that there were enough staff to look after people on the day of the inspection. Training records showed that staff had access to different training to improve their skills and knowledge.

Systems were in place to ensure that people could complain, and complaints were taken seriously. One person said, 'No complaint, it's good here.'