Smythe House

Updated 11 March 2022

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 CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 9 February 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 11 March 2022

People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection.

Smythe House provides accommodation and care for seven people. This is a service that specialises in supporting adults with a range of complex needs and behaviours associated with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). This is a genetic condition that predominantly manifests with early years onset of hyperphagia which is an abnormal unrelenting great desire for food driving the person towards excessive eating and, left unchecked, life threatening obesity. Other characteristics of PWS include, for example, learning disabilities that may range in severity. There were six people in residence when we inspected.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The service met all relevant fundamental standards related to staff recruitment, training and the care people received. People’s care was regularly reviewed with them so they received the timely care they needed. 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.

Staff were friendly, kind and compassionate. They had insight into people’s capabilities and aspirations as well as their dependencies and need for support. They respected people's diverse individual preferences for the way they liked to receive their care and participate in activities they enjoyed.

The goal of the provider was to enable people with PWS to make positive life changes and the staff team were successful in to supporting each individual to achieve this.

People’s healthcare needs were met. They had access to community based healthcare professionals, such as GP’s and nurses, and had regular check-ups. They received timely medical attention when needed. Medicines were safely managed.

People's individual nutritional needs were assessed, monitored and met with appropriate guidance from healthcare professionals with expertise in PWS. People were supported to have a balanced diet and they had enough to eat and drink.

The provider and registered manager led staff by example and enabled the staff team to deliver individualised care that consistently achieved good outcomes for all people using the service. There were arrangements in place for the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong so that the quality of care across the service was improved.