70-72 Worting Road

Updated 13 June 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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.

This inspection took place on 10 May 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We reviewed all the information we held about the service including statutory notifications. These are notifications that the service is required to send us by law about events that occur at the home such as deaths, accidents and incidents and safeguarding alerts.

During our inspection, we spent time with people who live at the service and staff. This enabled us to observe and talk with people about how their support was provided. We spoke to four people, four members of staff and the registered manager. Prior to the inspection, we contacted five healthcare professionals for feedback about the service, we received replies from four. Following the inspection, we contacted three relatives to ask for their feedback about how the service was managed.

We looked at a range of records relating to how the service was run. This included three care plans, two staff files, medicines administration records and health and safety records.

Updated 13 June 2018

This inspection took place on the 10 May 2018 and was unannounced. At the last inspection in December 2016, we found three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. At this inspection, we found the service had made the required improvement and was rated as Good.

70-72 Worting Road is a ‘care home’. The service accommodated eight people in one adapted building. 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 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 and autism who used the service lived as ordinary a life as any citizen.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 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. Staff understood and worked to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

Medicines were managed safely. Staff had training in medicines administration and were observed by the registered manager to assess their competence.

Recruitment was safe, as all necessary staff pre-employment checks had been completed. There were sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s individual needs. Staff were aware of the different types of abuse and the signs to look for. They were confident about how to report any concerns and told us the registered manager would take appropriate action.

People accessed their local community every day and had regular clubs, meetings and activities they engaged with and enjoyed. There was opportunity for people to go on holiday; recent destinations included North Wales and Corfu, both chosen by people living at the service.

People were involved in planning their own care and support. Where possible people had signed their own care plans and drawn pictures of their goals or drawn pictures of the support they wanted from staff. Care plans were reviewed regularly and up to date.

The environment was clean and kept in good repair. People were encouraged to take responsibility for daily living activity such as light domestic cleaning and laundry. People were involved in planning their own menus, shopping for food and preparing their meals. All the meals were prepared using fresh ingredients.

Team meetings were held regularly and minutes kept. Staff received supervision quarterly and had an annual appraisal of their performance. Staff had received training in a range of areas and told us they felt well supported.

People had the opportunity to gain local employment with support from staff, which promoted their independence. The provider had gathered feedback from people, relatives and staff. People living at the service also had the opportunity to attend house meetings where they could voice their views and concerns.