Background to this inspection
Updated
22 February 2017
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.
The inspection was carried out by one inspector on 4 January 2017 and was unannounced. Prior to the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service and the provider. This included notifications received from the provider about deaths, accidents and safeguarding concerns. A notification is information about important events that the provider is required to send us by law. We also contacted the local authority responsible for monitoring the quality of the service and other health and social care professionals to obtain their views. We used this information to help inform our inspection.
There were seven people using the service at the time of our inspection and we met and spoke with three people living at the service. We looked at the care plans and records for two people and spoke with four members of staff including the deputy manager.
As part of our inspection we looked at records and reviewed information given to us by the deputy manager and members of staff. We looked at records for people using the service and records related to the management of the service. We also looked at areas of the building including communal areas and external grounds.
Updated
22 February 2017
This inspection took place on 4 January 2017 and was unannounced. At the last inspection of the service on 30 March 2015, we found the provider was meeting the regulations in relation to the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Community Options - 33 Albemarle Road is a small residential care home that provides accommodation and personal care support for up to seven adults with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection the home was providing care and support to seven people.
There was a deputy manager in post at the time of our inspection and an acting manager had been appointed and was due to be in post the following week. The service had a registered manager in post, however they were absent from the service for an agreed significant amount of planned time. 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.
Medicines were administered and stored safely, however the management and recording of medicines was not always consistently safe. This required improvement. We made a recommendation that the provider follows best practice and guidance in relation to the safe management and administration of medicines. We will check on this at our next inspection of the service.
Risks to the health and safety of people using the service were assessed and reviewed in line with the provider's policy. There were arrangements in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies and there were safeguarding adult’s policies and procedures in place. Accidents and incidents were recorded and acted on appropriately. There were safe staff recruitment practices in place and appropriate numbers of staff to meet people’s needs.
There were processes in place to ensure staff new to the home were inducted into the service appropriately and staff received training, supervision and appraisals. There were systems in place which ensured the service complied with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005). This provides protection for people who do not have capacity to make decisions for themselves. People’s nutritional needs and preferences were met and people had access to health and social care professionals when required.
People were treated with respect and were consulted about their care and support needs. Staff respected people’s dignity and privacy. People’s support needs and risks were identified, assessed and documented within their care plan. People were provided with information on how to make a complaint. There were systems and processes in place to monitor and evaluate the service provided. People were asked for their views about the service through residents meetings and satisfaction surveys.