Choices Housing Association Limited - 535 High Lane

Updated 21 August 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 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.

The inspection took place on 17 July 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

We looked at information we held about the service including statutory notifications submitted. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We also asked commissioners if they had any information they wanted to share with us about the service. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with four people who used the service, three members of staff that supported people, the deputy manager and the registered manager. We also had feedback from three social care professionals that have contact with the people who use the service. We also made observations in communal areas. We reviewed the care plans for two people who use the service, as well as medicine records and looked at management records such as quality audits. We looked at recruitment files and training records for two members of staff.

Updated 21 August 2018

The inspection took place on 17 July 2018 and was unannounced. Choices Housing Association Limited - 535 High Lane is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. It can accommodate up to eight people in one adapted building, split into two floors. There were eight people using the service at the time of our inspection.

At the last inspection in January 2016 the service was rated as Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 gave us positive feedback. They told us they were happy, liked the staff and were supported to partake in activities and trips that they enjoyed.

We have made a recommendation about the provider considering best practice guidance in relation to their Statement of Purpose and achieving outcomes for people.

People were kept safe by the systems the home had in place. There were sufficient amounts of safely recruited staff to support people and staff understood their responsibilities to recognise potential abuse and to report their concerns.

There were detailed risk assessments and plans in place and staff were following these. Medicines were managed safely and action had been taken if things had gone wrong and learning put in place to reduce the likelihood of incidents reoccurring. People were protected from the risk of infection as the home was clean and tidy and checks were made in relation to infection control.

People were protected under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People were supported to have food they liked and people were kept safe if they were at risk whilst eating. People had access to other health professionals when necessary and people’s health conditions were monitored and there were care plans were in place to guide staff.

Staff knew people well and people had personalised plans in place. People were supported to partake in a range of activities and trips. People had differing ways of communicating and these were planned for and staff knew how to communicate with people. People were supported to make plans for the end of their life and people’s preferences were recorded. People were able to complain and a suitable policy was in place.

Systems were in place to monitor of the service and to try and improve people’s experience of care. There were regular resident and staff meetings to discuss people’s feelings and people’s changing needs. People liked the registered manager and staff felt supported. The last CQC rating was on display and notifications were submitted as required by law.