Jervaulx Road

Updated 18 March 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 21 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 18 March 2022

Jervaulx Road is a residential care home that provides a service for up to 18 adults who have learning disabilities. 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. At the time of this inspection 12 people were living at the service.

The service operates from three houses joined by internal corridors and a separate self-contained flat situated within the grounds. Each of the houses provides an individual service for up to six people. These are, residential care, short breaks (respite) and ‘Stepping Stones’ which supports people to develop their independent living skills with the goal that they will move into their own home within the community. The self-contained flat offers accommodation for one person to experience living independently leading up to them moving into their own home.

The service has been developed and designed in line with most of 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 using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the service remained good, however, had improved to outstanding in one area. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 service was extremely person centred and responsive to each individual person’s needs. People's care needs were assessed and dynamic plans were in place that changed with the person as their independence was developed. All people and their relatives that we spoke with told us how they were supported by staff, who knew them exceptionally well and empowered them to gain their independence.

We received exceptional feedback from people who used the service, their relatives and professionals about how responsive the service was. We heard, “The service is amazing, [relative’s name] has developed so much they are going to be moving into their own place soon”, “I can do things now that I never thought I would” and “The service is a really lovely place, well run and everyone is safe.”

People were protected from abuse by support staff who were trained and knowledgeable about safeguarding adults and understood their responsibilities. The provider had suitable policies and procedures in place for support staff to follow to keep people safe.

Where people had been assessed for a risk of harm we found that there were risk assessments in place for support workers to follow to minimise that risk.

People lived in premises which the provider maintained safely. The provider carried out a range of health and safety checks including fire safety, water temperatures and hygiene, window restrictors, electrical and gas safety, equipment maintenance and servicing.

Medicines were being administered and managed safely by trained and competent support staff. The provider checked that people received their medicines as prescribed.

There were enough support staff employed at the service to provide people with safe care. We saw that the provider regularly reviewed the staffing levels to ensure that people had the maximum amount of time with staff.

The provider had a robust recruitment system in place to ensure that the people they employed were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Support staff understood their responsibilities in relation to respecting people’s privacy and dignity.

A training programme was in place that enabled support staff to provide high standards of person-centred care. New support staff received a suitable induction.

Support staff received regular supervision and an annual appraisal which allowed the registered manager to plan further training to support staff development.

The service had an effective complaints process in place. People were aware of it and understood how to make a complaint should they need to. The service actively encouraged feedback from people and staff and used this to develop the service.

Leadership was visible and competent with an experienced registered manager in post. The provider was accessible to people and staff. One relative told us "The service is excellent, I don’t need to say more." The management team carried out audits of the service to check the quality of care.

The registered manager worked in partnership with external professionals to develop and achieve the best outcomes for people who used the service. The service had developed excellent links with the local community.