Archived: Multi-Care (Reading) Limited - 375 Old Whitley Wood Lane

Updated 13 February 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 was carried out by one inspector on 10 January 2018. It was a comprehensive inspection and was unannounced.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service which included notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law. We looked at previous inspection reports and contacted five community professionals for feedback. We received feedback from two professionals.

We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR).This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help us plan the inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with three people who use the service although they were not all able to provide detailed information. We spoke with the director and three members of staff including the registered manager, a senior support worker and a support worker. We looked at four people's care plans, monitoring records and medicine recording sheets. We reviewed two staff files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service including, accident/incident records, audits, training records and a number of other documents relating to health and safety. For example, the fire risk assessment, fire safety checks and maintenance certificates. We did not review recruitment records as there had been no recruitment since the previous inspection. Following the inspection we contacted the relatives of two people using the service.

Updated 13 February 2018

This was a comprehensive inspection which took place on 10 January 2018. It was unannounced.

Multi-Care (Reading) Limited - 375 Old Whitley Wood 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.

Multi-Care (Reading) Limited - 375 Old Whitley Wood Lane is registered to provide accommodation and care for up to four people living with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection four people resided at the service.

At the last inspection in November 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The home is required to have a registered manager. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. At the time of the inspection a registered manager was in post and assisted with the inspection.

People continued to receive safe care from the service. Risk assessments were completed and measures taken to reduce any identified risks without restricting people’s freedom. There were sufficient staff to support people safely. Staff were trained to safeguard and protect people. They understood their responsibilities to report concerns and did so promptly when necessary. Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines when they required them.

People continued to receive effective care from staff who were trained and had shown they had the necessary skills to fulfil their role. However, not all refresher training was completed within the current recommended timescales. We have made a recommendation that the provider refer to the current best practice guidance on ongoing training for social care staff. Opportunities to gain recognised qualifications were available to all staff. Those who did not already hold a qualification had begun working toward one. Staff were supported through one to one meetings, appraisals, staff meetings and regular communication with the registered manager. They were encouraged to seek advice, discuss and review their work in order to develop their skills and knowledge.

People were supported with nutrition and hydration and had sufficient to eat and drink to maintain their health and well-being. People benefitted from a service that supported them to stay healthy. Healthcare advice was sought and followed through appropriately. Regular reviews of people’s health and wellbeing were undertaken. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible, the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People benefitted from a service and staff team who were caring. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They and their relatives were involved in planning and reviewing decisions about their care. Staff were kept up to date with information related to the changing needs of people they supported. There were positive interactions between people and staff and we saw people were relaxed. People were helped to be as independent as possible and encouraged to maintain and develop skills.

People were supported by a staff team who knew them well. People’s individual support plans were person-centred and contained detailed guidance for staff. They focused on and respected the diverse needs and preferences of each person. People and their relatives knew how to complain but had not needed to use the formal complaints procedure. They told us they felt were listened to if they ever raised an issue. People were supported to engage in meaningful activities of their choice. People received information in a way they could understand however, staff did not have a clear understanding of the Accessible Information Standard. We have made a recommendation that guidance and best practice about the Accessible Information Standard is sought.

The service continued to be well-led. There was an open, friendly and person centred atmosphere in the service. The registered manager showed effective leadership and staff spoke positively about team working. People using the service, their relatives and staff were provided with opportunities to make their views known and to have their ideas considered.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.