Yewdale Farm

Updated 22 July 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection

outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type

Yewdale Farm is a 'care home' without nursing care. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Yewdale Farm also provides care and support to people living in a 'supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced for both site visit dates.

Inspection activity started on 20 June 2022 and ended on 23 June 2022. We visited the 20 and 23 June 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local safeguarding authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We visited the service location on 20 June 2022 and again in the evening on 23 June 2022. We spoke or communicated with three people, four relatives and an advocate. We also received feedback from a relative by e-mail. We used staff to help us understand what people told us.

We also spoke with six staff including the registered manager, senior care staff and care staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision.

A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed, including incident records, compliments, complaints, quality assurance processes and various policies and procedures.

What we did after the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We sought assurance about people's care records.

Updated 22 July 2022

About the service

Yewdale Farm is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to nine people as well as supported living accommodation and personal. At the time of the inspection there were four people using the service. Each person had their own room and shared a kitchen and other communal areas. The service can also support people with personal care in their own home and one other person was suing this service.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. 'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Based on our review of is the service safe, responsive and well-led questions, the service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support

The service gave people care and support in a safe environment that was clean and suitably equipped to meet people's physical and emotional needs. Staff complied with measures designed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading within the service. Staff focused on people's strengths and promoted what they could do, enabling the opportunity for people to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives.

Staff supported people to pursue their interests inside and outside the home, and to achieve their aspirations and goals. The service worked with people to plan for when they experienced periods of distress; to minimise any restrictions and to ensure people had as much freedom, choice and control over their lives as possible.

Staff received training in the use of restraint and were confident in their ability to deploy this training. At the time of our inspection no person required restraint. Any restraint would be in an emergency situation as a last resort and for the shortest time possible.

Staff supported people to make decisions following best practice in decision-making. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs. Staff enabled people to access the community and pursue their interests in their local area. People were administered their medicines in a way that respected their independence and achieved positive health outcomes.

Right Care

Staff promoted people's equality and diversity, supporting and responding to their individual needs. People's care plans were an accurate reflection of the support they needed and what people could do independently.

Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse, and had the skills protect people from poor care and abuse, or the risk of this happening. The service worked with other agencies to do so. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe.

Staff had a thorough understanding of people's individual ways of communicating and this enabled people to be listened to. People received care that supported their needs and aspirations, was focused on their

quality of life, and followed best practice.

Right Culture

People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation people's strengths, impairments or sensitivities people with a learning disability and/or autistic people may have. Staff knew people well and responded to their needs and wishes. This helped people achieve their aspirations and live a meaningful life.

Staff put people's wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity.

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 requires improvement (published 13 December 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to people's safety and the management of the service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, responsive and well-led only.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Yewdale Farm on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.