6 and 8 January 2015
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Acorn provides accommodation and personal care for 6 people. There were five young men living at the home when we inspected. This was an unannounced inspection, which meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
People were receiving care that was effective and responsive to their changing needs. Care plans were in place that described how the person would like to be supported and these were kept under review. People were involved in making day to day decisions and decisions about their care. Other health and social care professionals were involved with regular meetings taking place with the person and the staff supporting them.
People led very active lifestyles based on their interests and aspirations. Some people were supported in these activities whilst others were fully independent. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks to the person and others and what measures were in place to ensure the person’s safety. People were involved in discussions about how they could keep safe. Staff clearly described what they would do if they felt a person was a risk of abuse and the importance of reporting to other agencies.
People were receiving medicines in a safe way. Staff had implemented some new recording to improve how medicines were checked and ensured some medicines were stored safely during the two day inspection.
People were supported by sufficient staff who had gone through a thorough recruitment process. Staff had received appropriate training to enable them to fulfil their role and support the people living in the home. Systems were in place to ensure effective communication, including team meetings and staff one to one meetings with the senior management team. Staff spoke positively about the team and how they supported people. People told us they liked the staff and the other people they lived with.
The staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported and caring in their approach. Staff commented positively about the management support.
Systems were in place for monitoring the service. This included seeking the views of the people and their relatives through regular meetings and annual surveys.