Archived: Coppice House

Updated 30 April 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 5 March 2015 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be attending. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors. This service was last inspected on 12 August when it did not meet all the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 relating to the care and welfare of people. During this comprehensive inspection we followed up on whether action had been taken to address the breach of regulations.

The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) and provided us with this information on the day of our inspection as we had not requested this information before the inspection. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also examined other information that we held about the provider and previous inspection reports.

We looked around the home and talked with seven members of staff, the registered manager and a representative from the provider. We only spoke to one person as most people were unable to communicate with us due to their complex needs. However we saw how staff interacted with these people. We looked at the care records of four people and records which related to staffing including their recruitment procedures and the training and development of staff. We inspected the most recent records relating to the management of the home including quality assurance reports.

After the inspection we spoke with three relatives by telephone and one health and social care professional.

Updated 30 April 2015

This inspection took place on 5 March 2015 and was unannounced. Coppice House provides accommodation and personal care for up to eleven people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. The home comprises of the main house and an adjacent four bedroomed bungalow with a one bedroom annexe attached to it. Most people used the facilities in the main house during the day.

A registered manager was in place as required by their conditions of registration. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At our previous inspection on 12 August 2014, the provider did not meet all the legal requirements in relation to the care and welfare of people. Following this inspection, the provider sent us an action plan to tell us the improvements they were going to make. During this inspection we looked to see if these improvements had been made. We found that improvements had been made to ensure people were cared for in a personalised way. People’s care and support needs were assessed, monitored and recorded in their care records.

People had complex needs and required a higher level of support and monitoring to ensure their safety. The registered manager and staff understood their role and legal responsibilities in assessing people’s mental capacity and supporting people in the least restrictive way. Risk assessments and guidance was provided to staff on how to support people. Some people required continuous support and were restricted from entering some rooms.

People and staff could raise any concerns or issues about abuse with the team and registered manager. People had been given training on how to recognise and understand the types of abuse. Staff and the registered manager understood their role to protect people from harm and abuse. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse such as daily auditing of people’s finances. Relatives told us that any day to day concerns which they had raised were always dealt with immediately.

People were supported by staff who had been suitably trained and recruited to carry out their role. There were sufficient numbers of skilled staff to meet the needs of the people they supported. Some people required individual support to help them achieve their goals. People who were able to express their views and relatives told us that staff were caring and gave them the support they needed.

People’s care was focused around their individual needs and support requirements. Their care records gave staff guidance on how to support them and reduce the risk of harm especially if they became upset. People were supported to access health care services such as dentists and specialist doctors. Their medicines were ordered, stored and administered in an effective way. Staff knew people’s preferences in food and special diets which were catered for.

Relatives spoke highly of the staff and the registered manager. Staff knew people well and were able to support them effectively in the least restrictive way to take part in activities. There were a wide range of individual and group activities in the home and throughout the community offered to people. People enjoyed meeting up with other people at community events such as discos.

Monitoring systems were in place to ensure the service was operating effectively and safely. Internal and external audits were carried out to continually monitor the service provided. The registered manager was knowledgeable in supporting people to ensure they were protected and safeguarded from harm.