Clifford House

Updated 4 January 2018

We carried out this comprehensive inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

Clifford House is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Clifford House is a modern detached property, approximately 3 miles north of Carlisle in the village of West Linton. The service provides care and accommodation to five people with a learning disability.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

Prior to our inspection visit we contacted the commissioning department at Cumbria County Council and this helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.

As part of the inspection we used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

This inspection visit took place on 15 November 2017 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the service was a small care home for adults who were often out during the day, we needed to be sure someone would be in.

The inspection team consisted of an adult social care inspector.

During the visit we spoke with a range of people about the service. They included two people who lived at the home, two relatives and the registered manager/ provider. We also observed care practices and how the registered manager staff interacted with people in their care. This helped us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at care records of two people and arrangements for meal provision. We also looked at records relating to the management of the home and the medication records of two people. No staff had been employed for a number of years and one part time family member provided support for the registered manager/owner. We also checked the building to ensure it was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to live.

Updated 4 January 2018

Clifford House is a modern detached property, approximately 3 miles north of Carlisle in the village of West Linton. The service provides care and accommodation to five people with a learning disability. There is a large lounge with a conservatory and a dining kitchen on the ground floor. Bedrooms are all single and situated on the ground and upper floor together with toilet and bathing facilities. There are well kept gardens to the side and rear of the property. At The time of the inspection visit three people lived at the home.

There was a registered manager in place who was also the owner. 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 the last inspection on 01 May 2017 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Clifford House operated as a family home and the three people who lived there had done so for over 20 years as part of the family unit. One person who lived at the home said, “This is my home and family we are all so lucky here to be looked after [registered manager/owner].”

Relatives told us they were made welcome by a caring and compassionate person who supported their relatives. They told us they were happy with the care provided and had no concerns about their relatives safety. One relative said, “I would give [Registered manager/owner] 100% an absolutely wonderful person.”

Suitable arrangements were in place to protect people from abuse and unsafe care. People at Clifford house told us they felt safe.

The registered manager/owner with part time support from a family member provided care and guidance for the three people who lived at Clifford House. No staff had been recruited for many years.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained, was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

We found that medicines were managed well and in line with people’s needs.

We observed during the inspection visit warm and friendly interactions between the owner and people who lived at the home. We saw the owner was able to communicate well with the people they supported.

People had been 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 supported this practice.

People who lived at Clifford House told us they enjoyed the meals and choices made available to them and they supported the owner with cooking and cleaning of the kitchen area. One person who lived at the home said, “We make what we like each day, [owner] is a very good cook.”

We found people had access to healthcare professionals and records were kept of outcomes of visits and what action was taken to meet their healthcare needs.

The service had information with regards to support from an external advocate should this be required by them.

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home and their relatives. The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the service and had no complaints

Monitoring of the quality of the service provided was done on an informal basis. For instance Informal discussions with people who lived at Clifford house and relatives.