The Paddocks

Updated 4 July 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and one Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The Expert by Experience on this inspection had a relative with a learning disability.

Service and service type: The Paddocks is a residential care home which was providing care and support to five people at the time of our inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection: The inspection was 15 May 2019 and was unannounced.

What we did:

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the PIR and other information we had about the service including statutory notifications. Notifications are information about specific events that the service is legally required to send us.

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

Some people at the service were not able to tell us about their experiences. We used a number of different methods such as undertaking observations to help us understand people’s experiences of the home. Due to the complexity of the people who live at The Paddocks two people were not able to verbally communicate so we used observation of interaction with staff with people in the lounges, kitchen, dining areas and throughout the service.

During the inspection we spoke with two people living at the home and three staff members, this included senior staff, and the registered manager. We reviewed two people’s care and support records and four staff files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service such as incident and accident records, meeting minutes, recruitment and training records, policies, audits and complaints.

Updated 4 July 2019

About the service: The Paddocks is a residential care home that was providing personal care to five people with a learning disability at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

People received caring person-centred support by a staff team which prioritised their well-being. Staff were positive about working at the service and told us they received the training and support they needed to provide effective care for people living at the service. We observed warm and friendly interactions between staff and people who lived at the service.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People had clear, person-centred care plans which contained detailed information about their care and support needs. Risks to people had been assessed and clear guidance was in place to support people safely. People were supported to access the community regularly. During our inspection everybody living at the service had the opportunity to go out.

There was good leadership in place. The registered manager had effective systems in place to monitor the running of the service. For example, the quality of care records, training and supervision overviews and a range of audits designed to check the safety of the environment. However, some aspects of the environment required updating.

We have made a recommendation that the provider completes an audit of the premises to identify areas that need updating.

Medicines were managed safely and protocols concerning ‘as required’ medicines were particularly well-managed. People were supported to maintain their health and well-being; the service kept clear records of any health issues, professionals involved and dates of any appointments.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection in August 2016 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

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