Cheshire East Short Breaks

Updated 5 January 2019

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.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 11 and 12 December 2018 and was unannounced on day one. The inspection was carried out by an adult social care inspector and an assistant inspector.

Prior to the inspection we checked information we held about the service including whether we had received any statutory notifications. A statutory notification is information about significant events which the service is required to send us by law. The provider had completed a provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan how the inspection should be conducted.

We visited Cheshire East Short Breaks premises on 11 December and contacted staff members and relatives of people who have stayed at Cheshire East Short Breaks by telephone on 12 December 2018. During the inspection we spoke with the nominated individual, registered manager a senior support worker and a support worker in person and by telephone with four relatives and one staff member.

We looked at care records belonging to three people who use the service, three staff recruitment files, a sample of medication administration records and other documents relating to the operation of the service.

We observed the premises and facilities available for people using the service. At the time of the inspection there was one person staying at Cheshire East Short Breaks however, they were not present during the inspection. Therefore, we were unable to observe the delivery of care people received directly. However, we saw feedback recorded about people’s stay at the service.

Updated 5 January 2019

Cheshire East Short Breaks is run by Cheshire East Council. The service provides respite care services including accommodation and personal care for up to four adults with learning disabilities at number 9 Warwick Mews, Macclesfield, Cheshire. On the first day of our inspection there was one person using the service however, they were out and not present during our site visit.

The care service had not originally been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. However, we found that people were given choice, their independence was promoted and there was the service had an inclusive culture.

At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People continued to receive a safe service and were protected from harm, discrimination and abuse. Accidents and incidents were recorded and where appropriate actions taken to mitigate the risk of recurrence. Risks were assessed and measures implemented to manage, risk assessments were reviewed and monitored when people’s needs changed. Medicines were managed and administered safely and we saw that robust procedures were in place. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and recruitment procedures were safe. The premises were well maintained and checks were carried out to ensure they were safe. Staff had access to personal protective equipment (gloves and aprons).

People continued to receive an effective service. An assessment of people’s needs was carried out before they came to stay at Cheshire East Short Breaks and staff sought information about any changes before people returned. Staff had received a wide range of health and social care related training and also specialist training for specific health needs including epilepsy. Regular staff supervisions, appraisals and direct observation of staff practice were carried out. The service could source relief staff from the provider’s other locations. This enabled the registered manager to be confident that relief staff were fully aware of policies and procedures and had received the same level of training as permanent staff. People were supported to have choice and were supported in the least restrictive way. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) were followed.

People continued to receive care from staff who were kind and compassionate. We saw that people’s individual communication needs were considered. People’s views were sought during and following each visit. People’s privacy, dignity and independence were promoted and they were treated fairly and without discrimination.

People continued to receive a responsive service. People’s preferences, likes and dislikes were clearly recorded in their personal support plan. The service was homely and person-centred. People were supported to develop their independence. Assistive technology such as door alarms, pendants and pagers were used to support people’s individual needs. Several documents were available in easy read formats.

People continued to receive a service which was well-led. Audits were carried out to assess and monitor the quality of the service and where actions had been identified these were had been completed. We found information which we had not been informed about. We could see from the records available that the registered manager had dealt with these incidents robustly and that they had been reported to other agencies as required. The provider confirmed that procedures had been improved with additional quality assurance checks implemented. The rating from our last inspection was clearly displayed.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.