We carried out a review of the data available to us about People in Action - Old Hinckley Road on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about People in Action - Old Hinckley Road, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice:
The service ensured current government guidelines in relation to COVID-19 were being followed by staff and visitors to reduce the risk of infection to people living at the home. This included comprehensive checks for visitors on arrival.
The registered manager had a methodical and organised approach to recording individuals COVID-19 vaccination status and COVID-19 test results. Detailed and up-to-date policies and procedures were in place.
We were assured that this service met good infection prevention and control guidelines as a designated care setting.
People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
There was not a registered manager in post at the time of our visit. The service manager in charge of the home was in the process of registering with CQC. 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.
At our last comprehensive inspection in November 2015, we rated the service as Good overall. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
The service manager and staff assessed risks to people’s health and welfare and care plans provided accurate information for staff to minimise the identified risks. Staff and people had lived and worked at the home for a number of years and were familiar around each other’s company, which helped people be relaxed with staff. We were confident staff knew people well and they continued to support and encourage people’s independence.
Staff knew how to keep people safe from the risk of abuse. There continued to be enough staff to meet people’s health needs and there continued to be flexibility in staffing levels, to make sure people received a safe, effective and responsive service.
People’s medicines were managed, stored and administered safely by trained and competent staff. Staff understood people’s needs and abilities and they had the skills, training and experience to meet people’s needs effectively.
People continued to be cared for and supported by kind and compassionate staff. People were supported to have choice where possible. Staff ensured people received support from other health professionals to maintain their physical and mental health and people were involved in how their care was delivered.
Each person had a care and support plan with detailed information and guidance personal to them. Care plans included information on maintaining the person's health, their daily routines and preferences.
Staff told us they felt supported by the management team and by each other. The quality monitoring system demonstrated systems continued to be effective and support good outcomes for people.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
This inspection took place on 12th November 2015 and was announced.
45 Old Hinckley Road offers accommodation, care and support for up to seven people who have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were seven people living in the home.
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.
People were comfortable with staff and relatives were confident people were safe living in the home. Staff received training in how to safeguard people, and had access to the provider’s safeguarding policies and procedures if they had any concerns. Staff understood what action they should take in order to protect people from abuse. Systems were used to identify and minimise risks to people’s safety. These systems were flexible so people could take risks if they were able to do so and build their independence.
People were supported with their medicines by staff that were trained and assessed as competent to give medicines safely. Medicines were given in a timely way and as prescribed. Regular checks of medicines helped ensure any issues were identified and action could be taken as a result. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs, with numbers of staff having been increased recently in order to support people effectively.
Checks were carried out prior to staff starting work to ensure their suitability to support people who lived in the home. Staff told us they had not been able to work until checks had been completed.
Some people were considered to lack capacity to make day to day decisions such as what to eat, what to drink, what to wear. This had been assessed so staff knew how much support people needed with decision making. However, where applications had been made to deprive people of their liberty under DoLS because they did not have capacity to decide where they wanted to live, this was not clearly linked to an assessment of capacity. Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, and the need to seek informed consent from people wherever possible. Staff followed the principles of the Act throughout our visit.
Staff were respectful and treated people with dignity and respect. We saw this in interactions between people at our inspection visit, and this was also reflected in records kept. People were supported to make choices about their day to day lives. For example, they could choose what to eat and drink, and were supported to prepare their own meals if they wanted to.
People had access to health professionals whenever necessary, and we saw that the care and support provided in the home was in line with what had been recommended. People’s care records were written in a way which helped staff to deliver personalised care, which focussed on the achievement of goals. Staff tried to ensure people were fully involved in how their care and support was delivered, and people were able to decide how they wanted their needs to be met.
Relatives told us they were able to raise any concerns with the registered manager, and they would be listened to and responded to effectively, and in a timely way. Staff told us the management team were approachable and responsive to their ideas and suggestions. There were systems to monitor the quality of the support provided in the home, and recommended actions were clearly documented and acted upon. This was achieved through unannounced provider’s visits to check different aspects at each visit.
We spent some time in a communal area and observed the interaction between staff and people who used the service. We saw that people appeared comfortable and relaxed in their surroundings and chatted easily with the staff member on duty.
People had care plans in place which were well ordered and easy to follow. They were up to date and contained information to enable staff to meet people's needs effectively. People were supported to attend and participate in a variety of activities throughout the week as well as spending time at the home.
Effective recruitment processes were followed when new staff were appointed and appropriate checks carried out before they commenced their new roles. All new staff completed a period of induction and training for their job role.
There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to ensure people received the support they needed.
A complaints procedure had been made available to people and their relatives should they wish to make a complaint.
In this report the name of a registered manager appears who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. Their name appears because they were still a registered manager for the service on our register at the time.
People living in the home had complex needs which meant that they were not always able to tell us their experiences. We spent time during our visit observing care to help us understand their experiences.
We observed positive relationships between people living in the home and the staff on duty. We saw that people appeared comfortable and relaxed in approaching the staff, and smiled an nodded at us when we spoke with them.
People had care plans in place that contained information to assist staff with meeting their care and support needs. Staff we spoke with knew about people's care and support needs and were able to tell us about them. We saw that personal care and support was provided discreetly and in private.
People were being supported to lead active lifestyles with a variety of outings and activities being provided, and appeared happy and excited about the activities they were going to participate in on the day of our visit.
Confidential records belonging to both the people living in the home and the staff were maintained in good order and were stored securely.
The SALT told us that the staff team were always supportive of people and made a great deal of effort to provide a "total communication" environment. This means that people's communication needs are understood and respected.
People told us they have lots of opportunities to take part in things they enjoy and maintain their independence. One person said, "I like to go shopping and buy things for my room."
Bedrooms had been furnished and decorated to reflect people's individual tastes and preferences.
There are systems in place to review the quality of care and service provided so that people's views are listened to and acted upon.