Background to this inspection
Updated
17 April 2020
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.
Inspection team
The inspection was completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
Yardley Fields is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this 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
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used information received from ongoing monitoring such as information received about the service and from the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spent time in the communal areas to understand how people spent their day and how staff interacted with them. We spoke with three people living in the care home about their experience of care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including one care support worker, two team leads and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files to review recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We spoke with two relatives who regularly visit the service about the care their family members received. Why we inspected
Updated
17 April 2020
About the service
Yardley Fields is a care home providing personal and nursing care to four people with learning disabilities and/ or autism spectrum disorder at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to five people in one adapted building. The building is all on one level with no steps or stairs inside.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
The service accommodated up to five people in line with guidance and provided good sized individual bedrooms and a large shared kitchen diner and separate lounge. Large sliding windows opened out onto an enclosed garden. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom or cameras, to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us that they felt safe in their home environment. Relatives felt confident that their family members were protected from avoidable harm. Staff had an understanding of how to protect people from harm and recognised types of abuse and how to report it.
Possible risks to people had been identified and staff knew how to reduce the risk of harm. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs. People’s medicines were stored and managed safely. Safe practices were completed to reduce risk of infection and keep the home clean.
People and their relatives were involved in ongoing assessment and reviews of their needs. People were supported to choose from healthy food and drink options and eat a balanced diet which reflected individual dietary needs. Staff worked well with external health professionals and followed their guidance and support.
People were cared for in a kind and considerate manner. They were treated with respect and their dignity and privacy were maintained. People were supported to make choices about how they wanted to receive care, their wishes and decisions were listened to and acted upon.
People’s care needs were met in a timely way. Changes to their needs were communicated clearly to the staff team. People were encouraged to maintain their hobbies and interests and set themselves goals and aspirations as part of their activity planning. People and relatives had access to information about how to make a complaint.
The registered manager had a visible presence in the home and promoted an open culture for both people and staff. People’s views and wishes were listened to as well as relatives and all were given opportunities to contribute ideas and feedback about how the service was run. The staff were supported by the provider to carry out their duties effectively by being given suitable induction and ongoing training as well as regular supervisions and appraisals. The management team made checks to ensure that people’s needs were met, and care was delivered in a safe and person-centred way.
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.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
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 13 February 2019) and there were multiple 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 regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Yardley Fields on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.