Archived: Watchbell House

Updated 13 October 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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.

We inspected the service on the 23 and 25 August 2016. This was an unannounced inspection which was undertaken by one inspector.

We looked in detail at care plans and examined records which related to the running of the service. We looked at four support plans and three staff files, staff training records and quality assurance documentation to support our findings. We looked at records that related to how the home was managed. We also ‘pathway tracked’ people living at Watchbell House. This is when we look at care documentation in depth and obtain views on how people found living there. It is an important part of our inspection, as it allowed us to capture information about a sample of people receiving care.

We looked at all areas of the service, including people’s bedrooms, bathrooms, and lounge and dining area. During our inspection we spoke with five people who live at the service, four support staff and the registered manager.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the home, including the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form in which we ask the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We considered information which had been shared with us by the local authority, members of the public, relatives and healthcare professionals. We reviewed notifications of incidents and safeguarding documentation that the provider had sent us since our last inspection. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

Updated 13 October 2016

We inspected Watchbell House on 23 and 25 August 2016. Watchbell House provides accommodation and support for up to six people. Accommodation is provided from a listed building in a residential area.

The age range of people living at the service is 23 – 52. The service provides care and support to six people living with a range of learning disabilities. There were six people living at the service on the day of our inspection.

We last inspected Watchbell House on 6 February 2014 where we found it to be compliant with all areas inspected.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Although there were established systems to monitor the quality of service the documentation being used did not consistently afford senior staff with clear oversight of all areas of the service.

People appeared happy and relaxed with staff. There were sufficient staff to support them. Checks were undertaken to ensure staff were suitable to work within the care sector. Staff were knowledgeable and trained in safeguarding and knew what action they should take if they suspected abuse was taking place. A wide range of training was provided to ensure staff were confident to meet people’s needs.

It was clear staff had spent considerable time with people, getting to know them, gaining an understanding of their personal history and building rapport with them. People were provided with a choice of healthy food and drink ensuring their nutritional needs were met.

People’s needs had been assessed and detailed care plans developed. Care plans contained risk assessments for a wide range of daily living needs. People consistently received the care they required, and staff members were clear on people’s individual needs. Care was provided with kindness and compassion. Staff members were responsive to people’s changing support needs. People’s health and wellbeing carefully monitored and staff regularly liaised with a range of healthcare professionals for advice and guidance.

Medicines were managed safely in accordance with current regulations and guidance. There were systems in place to ensure that medicines in use were stored, administered, and disposed of appropriately.

The CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. We found that the manager understood when an application should be made and how to submit one. Where people lacked the mental capacity to make specific decisions the home was guided by the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) to ensure any decisions were made in people’s best interests.

People were provided with opportunities to take part in a range of activities and hobbies and to regularly access the local and wider area. People were supported to take an active role in decision making regarding their own routines and those of the home.

The registered manager felt well supported by the provider and staff spoke positively about working at Watchbell House and about the support they received from senior staff.