Archived: The Sheiling

Updated 16 February 2018

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 15 January 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Before the inspection we gathered information about the service. We reviewed records held by CQC which included notifications, complaints and any safeguarding concerns. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing potential areas of concern at the inspection.

Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). 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.

As part of our inspection we spoke briefly with two people. We also spoke with four relatives and three staff, plus the registered manager. We observed caring interactions between people and staff. We reviewed the care plans for three people, medicines records and the records of accidents and incidents. We looked at mental capacity assessments and applications made to deprive people of their liberty.

We looked at records of staff training and supervision. We saw records of quality assurance audits. We looked at a selection of policies and procedures and health and safety audits. We also looked at minutes of meetings of staff, people and relatives.

Our last inspection was in October 2016 in which we gave the service a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating.

Updated 16 February 2018

The Sheiling is a care home providing accommodation, personal care and support for up to ten adults who have a learning disability, physical disability or mental health conditions.

When we carried out our unannounced inspection on 15 January 2018, there were ten people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were treated by staff who were kind and caring. Staff treated people with respect and maintained their dignity. People were able to make their own choices and encouraged to be independent. People received care that was personalised to their individual needs. Support plans reflected people’s needs and preferences

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their needs and keep them safe. Good recruitment procedures were followed to ensure only suitable staff were employed. Staff understood their responsibilities in safeguarding people from abuse and knew how to report any concerns they had. The provider did not have robust processes that had ensured people finances were managed appropriately which was subject to an investigation. However, we had no concerns about the processes within The Sheiling in relation to people’s finances.

Risks to people’s safety were identified and action taken to keep people as safe as possible. Accidents and incidents were analysed and discussed within the team so lessons were learnt. Regular checks were carried out at the service to ensure the home was safe and well maintained and the provider had a contingency plan to ensure that people’s care would continue in the event of an emergency.

There were good medicine management processes in place and where people lived was clean and hygienic. The home was adapted to help ensure it was suitable for people and their needs.

People’s needs had been assessed before they moved into the home. Staff had the training and support they needed to carry out their roles effectively. All staff attended an induction when they started work and were required to undertake a nationally recognised set of care standards.

People’s rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were respected. Where people lacked capacity the legal requirements were followed to help ensure decisions were made in their best interests.

People were able to make choices about the food they ate and where people had a specific diet this was provided to them. People were supported to maintain good health and to obtain treatment when they needed it. Each person had a health action plan which detailed their health needs and the support they needed.

People had opportunities to take part in activities that reflected their interests. People were supported to access the local community which enabled them to meet people outside of the service. There were appropriate procedures for managing complaints.

People, relatives and staff felt the service was well managed by the registered manager. There was the opportunity for everyone to give their feedback and suggestions and these were reviewed and the registered manager responded positively to feedback.

The staff and provider’s quality monitoring systems were effective in ensuring people received good quality care and support. Staff had established effective links with external agencies and health and social care professionals to ensure people received the care they needed. The standard of record-keeping was good. People’s care records were kept up to date and stored accessibly yet securely.