Merrywick Hall

Updated 9 January 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

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

Merrywick Hall 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.

The service had a manager registered with the CQC. 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 reviewed information available to us about this service. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse. We sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, one senior care worker, three care workers, the chef, seven people using the service and one relative. We looked at three people’s care records in full and people’s medication administration records. We considered a selection of documentation about the management and running of the service. We looked at recruitment information for two members of staff, staff training records, policies and procedures and records of complaints.

After the inspection

We continued to receive information from the service to support our findings during the inspection. We contacted three relatives and two of them provided feedback.

Updated 9 January 2020

Merrywick Hall is a care home providing personal care for up to 33 people who have a learning disability and/or autism and older people. The accommodation was varied and included a large house, a separate bungalow, a flat and a bedsit.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered to support up to 33 people and at the time of our inspection 33 people lived at the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and being varied.

People’s experience of using this service

We received positive views from people and relatives about the support provided to people. Care and support were tailored to each person's needs and preferences. People were supported to be involved in the local community and build on their independence.

People, their relatives and staff told us the registered manager was approachable and listened to them. The registered manager had reviewed and updated checks in place to monitor the quality of care provided. These were in the process of being implemented.

There were systems in place to safeguard people from abuse and staff demonstrated an awareness of safety and how to minimise risks. Recruitment checks were in place to ensure staff were suitable to work at the service. People were supported to take positive risks and be independent. Staff knew people’s likes and dislikes and were effective at managing risk.

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 received their medicines on time and their health was well managed.

People were supported with their communication needs and staff demonstrated effective skills in communication.

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 Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 26 June 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.