Warnford Close

Updated 23 November 2017

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.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we had about the service, including previous inspection reports, improvement plans and notifications the provider sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. The registered provider gave us additional information on the day of the inspection.

During the inspection we spoke to two people living Warnford Close. We also spoke to the registered manager and two staff. We looked at the care records for two people and the medicines administration records for nine people. We reviewed two staff files in relation to their recruitment, supervisions and appraisals, the staff training matrix and the staff duty rota. We also looked at a range of records relating to the management of the service such as accidents, complaints, quality audits and policies and procedures. We requested further information be sent to us which we received.

Updated 23 November 2017

This inspection took place on 30 October 2017 and was unannounced.

A registered manager was in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.

Warnford Close has 12 rooms and offers support for people from the age of 18 who need support with their mental well-being. There were 11 people living at the service, however one was in hospital and one was on home leave on the day of the inspection.

At our last inspection carried out on 26 August 2015, we found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations. The concerns were: The registered person had not maintained an accurate, complete and contemporaneous record in respect of each service user, including a record of decisions taken in relation to the care and treatment provided. The registered person had not notified the Commission of incidents which had occurred.

The provider sent us an action plan in telling us they would be compliant with all the regulations by the end of November 2015.

At this inspection we found that the provider had made improvements and progress had been made since our last inspection. The provider was meeting the requirements of the regulations, in all areas.

People told us they were very happy with the care and support they received and if not they were happy to tell staff of any issues.

People were well supported and encouraged to make choices about what they ate and drank and could help themselves at any time.

The care staff we spoke with demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s care needs, significant people and events in their lives, and their daily routines and preferences. Staff also understood the provider’s safeguarding procedures and could explain how they would protect people if they had any concerns.

Staff told us they enjoyed working in the home and were a close, long standing group of staff.

Staff described management as supportive. Staff confirmed they were able to raise issues and make suggestions about the way the service was provided.

The service was safe and there were appropriate safeguards in place to help protect the people who lived there.

People were able to make choices about the way in which they were cared for and staff listened to them and knew their needs well. Staff had the training and support they needed.

There was evidence that people and staff had been involved in reviewing support plans.

Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the home.

People’s medicines were managed appropriately so they received them safely

The service was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Appropriate mental capacity assessments and best interest’s decisions had been undertaken by relevant professionals. This ensured that any decisions were made in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act, DoLS and associated Codes of Practice.

The service was also meeting the requirements of the Mental Health Act 1987 (2007) (MHA) as some people were being cared for under the MHA.

People accessed the local community on their own and they were free to come and go from Warnford Close with the caveat that they told staff when they were leaving and an expected time of return. They also participated in shopping for their own food needs.

There was a quality assurance system in place which meant that the service was able to monitor, review and adapt any area that needed improvement.