Background to this inspection
Updated
29 February 2020
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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
Pymhurst is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We contacted Healthwatch prior to the inspection to gather any feedback about the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We reviewed notifications of significant events we received from the registered manager since our last inspection as per legal requirements. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people who used the service and observed staff communicating and supporting people throughout the day. We spoke with four members of staff, including the registered manager and senior manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care plans and medicines records. We looked at one staff file in relation to recruitment, staff training and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.
After the inspection
We contacted one relative and two health and social care professionals working with the service to gather their feedback. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at records of compliments, provider’s audits and reflective practice records, staff training and meetings.
Updated
29 February 2020
About the service
Pymhurst is a residential care home without nursing providing personal care to up to six people living with learning disabilities, some of whom may have additional physical and dementia support needs. At the time of our inspection there were three people living at the service.
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 ensured that people who used the service could live as full a life as possible and achieved 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 received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Staff valued people as individuals and provided with caring support at every stage of their lives, even if this meant thinking out of the box to arrange the multidisciplinary input and additional resources. People‘s choices were listened to, and they were provided with dignified, comforting and caring support.
People were supported to live active lives and felt valued. They enjoyed their favourite activities and had support to maintain relationships that were important to them. Staff involved people and supported them to communicate and express themselves.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensured that people who used the service could live as full a life as possible and achieved the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
There were enough staff so people could spend time chatting or enjoying one to one support with activities. Staff were competent and supported people effectively. Staff had up to date training and felt supported by the management and listened to. The registered manager followed safe recruitment practices.
Staff protected people from abuse and the risk of avoidable harm. Risks to people were assessed and multidisciplinary support was sought to ensure people could access equipment and support they required to keep well, safe and healthy. Staff knew how to safely support people with their medicines.
People’s nutritional needs were met and people could regularly access health services. The registered manager followed best practice guidance when planning care so people could be provided with high quality person-centred support responsive to their changing needs.
The provider had created a caring, homely and person-centred culture within the service. The registered manager ensured the quality and safety of the service was monitored and action taken to continuously improve the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 26 July 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.