Pine House

Updated 3 April 2019

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:

•Pine 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.

•The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

•Our inspection was announced.

•We informed the provider 48 hours in advance of our visit that we would be inspecting. This was to ensure the registered manager was at the location to facilitate our inspection.

What we did:

•Our inspection was informed by evidence we already held about the service. We also checked for feedback we received from members of the public and the local authority. We checked records held by Companies House. The provider had completed a 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.

•We spoke with all three people who used the service and two relatives. We observed interactions between people and staff, and the afternoon activity.

•We spoke with two care staff, the registered manager, two directors and two healthcare professionals.

•We reviewed three people's care records, three staff records including recruitment, training and supervision, and other records about the management of the service.

Updated 3 April 2019

About the service:

•Pine House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care support for up to three people who have a learning disability and may have autism or display characteristics that fall within the autistic spectrum disorder.

•Pine House is a terraced house and accommodation is provided over two floors. The ground floor communal areas comprise of a kitchen and dining room, and a sitting room. All rooms are of single occupancy. One bedroom has en-suite facilities. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

•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. 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.

•At the time of our inspection, three people were living at the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

•People and relatives told us the service was safe and well led, and staff provided an effective, caring and responsive service.

•People were safeguarded from the risk of harm and abuse.

•People received safe care from staff who were knowledgeable about the risks and how to manage them safely.

•People’s needs were safely met by sufficient and suitable staff.

•People’s medicines needs were met safely by staff who were well trained and skilled.

•The service was clean. Staff safeguarded people from the risk of infection.

•Staff told us they felt well supported and they received regular supervision.

•People told us their individual needs were met by staff who knew their likes and dislikes.

•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 supported this practice.

•People's care plans were person-centred. Staff knew how to provide personalised care.

•Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy. People and relatives were involved in the care planning process and their independence was encouraged.

•People and relatives knew how to raise concerns and they told us the service was responsive.

•People, staff and healthcare professionals told us they the service was well led. They told us that they found the registered manager approachable.

•The provider worked collaboratively with other organisations to improve care.

•The provider had effective systems and processes in place to ensure the quality and safety of service.

Rating at last inspection:

•Good (report published 10 September 2016).

Why we inspected:

• This was a planned inspection to check that this service remained Good.

Follow up:

•We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk