Ganwick House

Updated 30 June 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 completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

Ganwick House 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 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. 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 used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager and care workers. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 30 June 2020

About the service

Ganwick House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to seven people at the time of the inspection. The service specialises in the care and support of people who may have a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder or mental health conditions. The service can support up to eight people.

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. It was registered for the support of up to eight people. Seven people were using the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs outside to indicate it was a care home.

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

People told us they felt safe. Staff had completed safeguarding training and knew how to report any concerns they may have. Risks to people’s safety and well-being had been identified and assessed. Staff knew the action they should take and followed the guidance provided to them.

Staff told us there were enough staff on duty and our observations confirmed they were able to meet people’s needs and spend meaningful time with people. Staff were recruited safely and received a comprehensive induction and training to provide them with the skills required for their roles.

Medicines were stored and managed safely. The registered manager monitored any accidents and incidents and lessons learnt were shared with staff.

Personalised care plans were in place. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they were supporting and knew what was important to each individual. People’s health and wellbeing was monitored, and staff supported them to access healthcare services, when required.

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.

There was a robust system in place to gather feedback from people, relatives and professionals. No formal complaints had been raised at the service; however, there was a procedure in place should any concerns be raised.

There was a positive, open culture at the service. The quality assurance system in place provided the registered manager with a detailed overview of service quality and where improvements needed to be made.

Staff spoke highly of the registered manager and their dedication to people and staff. It was clear that all staff were committed to delivering a quality service.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 21 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.