Guyatt House

Updated 30 April 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team: The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type: Guyatt House is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing 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 a registered manager in post at the time of our visits. The registered manager was also the provider and the owner of the company Guyatt House Care Ltd who runs the home. 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. The provider and registered manager has been referred to as the registered manager throughout this report.

Notice of inspection: This inspection was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice that we were going to visit because the service supports people who have very complex learning disabilities and they could have become very distressed with our presence if unannounced.

What we did: Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service and the service provider. The registered provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information that we request that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any further developments they plan to make. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law.

During the inspection, we met seven people who lived at the service however due to their complex communication styles we were unable to obtain detailed feedback verbally from everyone. We observed how people were being cared for and supported. We had contact with four relatives and five healthcare professionals. We also met and spoke with four support staff and had correspondence from a further two following our visit. We spent time with the provider, service manager and quality assurance managers during out visit.

Updated 30 April 2019

About the service: Guyatt House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to nine people. There were nine people with a learning disability living in the home at the time of the inspection.

The service has 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. This was evident in the promotion of choice and control, independence and community inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible, gaining new skills and growing in confidence and independence.

People’s experience of using this service:

¿ Guyatt House provided people with an outstanding service. People led full and inclusive lives where they were supported to be in control.

¿ The provider has demonstrated they successfully focused on continuous improvement since our last inspection. We previously found the service met the characteristics of an outstanding service in safe and caring at our last inspection. At this inspection we found the service had improved to an Outstanding service in safe, caring, responsive and well-led domains. We received exceptional feedback on how staff supported people and went the extra mile to get people’s support just right for them.

¿ People were at the centre of the service delivery. Staff worked exceptionally hard to find different ways of presenting information to people, using objects of reference or symbols for example. This enhanced way of communication ensured people were at the forefront of their care and support.

¿ People lived in at exceptionally person-centred service. The culture focussed on the promotion of people's rights to make choices and this resulted in people being valued and treated as individuals.

¿ People were supported by remarkable caring staff that knew them well and understood

how to maximise their potential.

¿ People were supported by staff who recognised their rights to take measured and considered risks in order to lead their lives as they wished. People’s aspirations and wishes were paramount.

¿ The provider continued to promote a culture of person centred support. A high-quality service and been sustained and further developed resulting in especially positive outcomes for people.

¿ There was a remarkable positive workplace culture and staff we spoke with provided irrefutable feedback about the provider and management team.

Rating at last inspection: The service was rated ‘Outstanding’ at our last inspection on 30 March 2016. The report following that inspection was published on 15 July 2016.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.