Church Lane

Updated 14 May 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 Care Act 2014.

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

Two Inspectors and an Expert by Experience carried out the inspection. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

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

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 that 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 not a registered manager in post.

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. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and nine relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the home manager, the two deputy managers, senior staff and support staff .

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and two 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, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 14 May 2022

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.

About the service

Church Lane is a care home providing personal care and support to autistic people/ and or have a learning disability. At the time of the inspection sixteen people lived there. The service can support up to twenty people. The service is split into two separate units. The first floor is called Inglewood and the ground floor is referred to as Church Lane. Both units had their own kitchens, dining rooms, lounges and shared bath/shower rooms. There were ten people living in Church Lane and six people living in Inglewood Lodge.

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

Right Support

The service supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence over their own lives. People were supported by staff to pursue their interests. For example, one person liked getting their hair and nails done so staff supported them with this. Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life. People had choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms. We observed people’s rooms to be decorated individually. Staff supported people to achieve their aspirations and goals. For example, some people’s goal was to re-design and decorate their bedroom. The manager also told us people are doing much more for themselves.

Right Care

Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. They understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care. A group of people from the local church go into the service and visit people. Peoples communication needs had been met and staff training and skills meant that interactions were comfortable . For example, staff use picture cards to help people make choices. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. We observed enough staff on inspection to support people with their needs. On the day of inspection, a number of people were going to a charity music concert.

Right culture

People received good quality care, support and treatment because trained staff and specialists could meet their needs and wishes. Staff had training including safeguarding, autism awareness and medicines. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a life of their choosing. Staff told us one person really liked jazz music, when we went to see the person, they had jazz music playing in their room, this was also documented in their care and support plan. Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. We observed staff being attentive, caring and compassionate when supporting people.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 27 March 2020) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 9 January 2020. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.

We undertook this inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report covers our findings in relation to all the Key Questions which contain those requirements.

We also undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

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.

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.