Rhyme House

Updated 21 July 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Two Inspectors carried out the inspection.

Service and service type

Rhyme House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Rhyme House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, senior support staff and support staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and two medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 21 July 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Rhyme House is a residential care home providing personal care and support to autistic people/ and or have a learning disability. At the time of inspection, the service supported nine people. The service can support up to 10 people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support

Staff promoted people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life. Staff supported people to reach their aspirations and goals. For example, one person’s goal was to work in a tea-room, staff supported them by initially encouraging them to offer to make tea for visitors who came to the service. The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs. For example, the service had recently been repainted and people told us they chose their own colour of paint for their rooms. Staff enabled people to access specialist health and social care support in the community. For example, people were supported to attend weekly support groups to support their protected characteristics under the Equality Act.

Right Care

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected

people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. We observed positive interactions between staff and people. For example, one staff member was asking a person how they were feeling as they didn’t feel too well the day before. People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, Makaton (a form of sign language), pictures and symbols could interact comfortably with staff and others involved

in their treatment/care and support. Staff had the necessary skills to understand the way people communicated. Staff told us that a few people had adapted and personalised Makaton signs and made their own form of signs that staff had learnt. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. For example, staff had a good understanding of people’s emotional needs and how best to positively support them to avoid them becoming anxious of distressed.

Right Culture

People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation to the wide range of strengths, impairments or sensitivities people with a learning disability and/or autistic people may have. This meant people received compassionate and empowering care that was tailored to their needs. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity. For example, if incidents happened, relatives were informed if people agreed . People received good quality care and support because trained staff and specialists could meet their needs and wishes. For example, staff had training in areas such as autism and learning disabilities.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good published (07 November 2017)

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to safeguarding. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. We also undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Rhyme House 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.