Talbot Gardens

Updated 18 December 2019

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.http://crmlive/epublicsector_oui_enu/images/oui_icons/cqc-expand-icon.png

Inspection team

This inspection was conducted by one inspector with the aid of a British Sign Language Interpreter.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

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 inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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 used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four 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 18 December 2019

About the service

Talbot Gardens is a specialist domiciliary care agency providing personal care to two people at the time of the inspection in a supported living setting. The service can support up to eight people, and there were eight people living at the supported living property at the time of the inspection.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

Although some improvements had been made in the governance of the service, we found there were still areas where records and audits could have been more effective in identifying areas of improvement and ensuring improvements had been made.

We have made a recommendation about governance at the service.

There were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs, and staff received appropriate levels of training and ongoing support.

People said the service was safe, and there were appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place. Accidents and incidents were investigated and monitored and risks to people’s safety assessed.

People received their medicines as prescribed and medicines administration was recorded and audited regularly.

People said staff were kind, caring and compassionate. We saw staff had good relationships with people. People we spoke with said staff supported them to lead independent lives and pursue their interests and hobbies.

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.

Care plans contained information about people’s needs and personal preferences, as well as their diverse characteristics.

Staff we spoke with said they felt the registered manager was approachable and that there was a good working culture at the service. There was a clear vision and purpose for the service which focused on ensuring people who required support and were also deaf could lead independent lives and have care delivered by staff who communicated in British Sign Language.

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 24 October 2018) and there was a breach of Regulation 17 (Good Governance) identified. 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.

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.