St Anne's Community Services - Queensway

Updated 17 September 2019

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 team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Queensway is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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 inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection in January 2017. 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. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

We reviewed a range of records. These included two people’s care records and medication records. We also looked at two staff files around staff recruitment and the training records of all staff. We reviewed records relating to the management of the home and a variety of audits implemented by the provider. We spoke with three staff, this included the registered manager and care staff.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and recruitment records. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service. We spoke with three relatives about their experience of the care provided.

Updated 17 September 2019

About the service

St Anne’s Community Services Queensway is a residential care home providing personal care to six people at the time of the inspection. The care home accommodates six people in one adapted building.

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 ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve 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 receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. The size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

Medicines were managed safely. Staff were recruited safely, and there were enough staff to take care of people. Care plans and risk assessments detailed what care and support people needed to reduce risk to them. Relatives told us they felt people were safe. We have made a recommendation about the management of disclosure and baring services (DBS).

Staff received appropriate training. A plan was in place to ensure training was kept up to date. Staff were supported and felt supported by the management team. Staff received supervision. People’s needs were assessed, and outcomes recorded. People were offered a choice of food and drink. The service worked with other health care professionals.

We observed some kind and caring interactions throughout the day between staff and people using the service. Relatives told us staff were kind and caring. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems at the service supported this practice. Relatives told us staff treated people with dignity and respect, they were involved with the planning of their relative’s care and their views were listened to.

Some people’s end of life wishes had been explored and documented. There was a complaints procedure and people knew how to complain. Peoples likes, and dislikes were recorded in their care plan and staff knew people and their preferences well. People’s communication needs were in their plans. People had a good range of activities in place and people were happy with what was on offer.

People spoke highly of the manager who they said was approachable and supportive. The registered manager understood the regulatory requirements. People told us they thought the service was well led.

The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.

As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people.

The service used some restrictive intervention practices as a last resort, in a person-centred way, in line with positive behaviour support principles.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

The last rating for this service was good. (Published February 2017)