Royal Mencap Society - 25 Barossa Road

Updated 2 June 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Royal Mencap Society - 25 Barossa Road is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Royal Mencap Society - 25 Barossa Road is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post but the service was temporarily managed by the acting manager.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 22 March 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We communicated with six people and three relatives of the people who used the service about their experience of the care and support provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the acting manager and support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included elements of five people's support plans and other care records, and multiple medicines records. We looked at recruitment checks for two staff members and staff training records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality and safety assurance checks, policies and procedures were also reviewed.

Updated 2 June 2022

About the service

Royal Mencap Society - 25 Barossa Road is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care support to up to seven people living with learning disabilities and/or autism and other physical and health related support needs. At the time of our inspection seven people lived in the home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People and their relatives told us they felt safe with staff and in their home. Staff knew people well and supported them to stay well. Staff knew what to do if people were at risk of avoidable harm, abuse or neglect. There were enough staff to support people.

People received personalised support which considered their wishes, preferences, interests and involved others important to them. People were supported to eat and drink well, to access healthcare services when needed and to have their medicines safely as prescribed. Staff knew how to communicate with people effectively.

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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support: Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and Independence;

People told us they chose to live in the home and we saw staff supported people to be as independent as possible and respected their choices.

Right care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights;

People were spoken with in a caring, kind and respectful way and given opportunities to express their views and to make their own choices. People had their privacy when they wanted to and staff supported them in a non-intrusive way. People were in control of their home and their lifestyle.

Right culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives

Staff spoke about people and their team members in a positive and appreciative way. Staff felt supported by the management. People told us it was a nice place to live in and they liked staff.

The provider made sure staff carried out quality and safety checks in the home, so people were safe. The assistant manager had a good oversight of the support people received and ensured people accessed other health and social care services when needed. Improvements to the support and home environment were made based on people’s feedback and provider checks.

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 12 March 2020).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.