Coopersway @ Devonshire

Updated 23 June 2018

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.

Coopers Way respite service is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The care service has 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.

This comprehensive inspection visit took place on 04 June 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the service was a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day, we needed to be sure someone would be in.

The inspection team consisted of an adult social care inspector.

Before our inspection on 04 June 2018 we reviewed the information we held on the service. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affect the health, safety and welfare of people who lived at the home and previous inspection reports. We also checked to see if any information concerning the care and welfare of people supported by the services had been received.

As part of the inspection we used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We contacted the commissioning department at Blackpool Council and Healthwatch Blackpool. Healthwatch Blackpool an independent consumer champion for health and social care. This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.

During the visit we spoke with a range of people about the service. They included the relatives of 12 people who used the service, a representative of the registered provider, the registered manager, senior respite worker and three staff members. We also observed care practices and how staff interacted with people in their care. This helped us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at care records of two people, staff training matrix, supervision records of two staff and arrangements for meal provision. We also looked at records relating to the management of the home and the medication records of two people. We reviewed the recruitment of one staff member and checked staffing levels. We also checked the building to ensure it was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to stay.

Updated 23 June 2018

Coopers Way respite service is a purpose built home situated in a residential area and within reach of local amenities and shops. It is a detached two storey property, providing accommodation for 6 people who require nursing or personal care. The building has six bedrooms, one lounge, kitchen/dining area and a sensory lounge. The service provides respite care (short stay). The period of stay depends on the needs of the individual person and their relatives. At the time of our inspection visit there were six people staying with the service.

At the last inspection carried out on 14 March 2016 the service was rated 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.

There was a registered manager 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.

People who used this service had complex needs and were not able to tell us about their experiences. To assist us to gain an overview of the service we spoke with family members of 12 people who used the service. We also observed the care and support provided for two people staying at the home. We saw staff communicated with both people by their preferred method and displayed a warm and caring attitude. Both people appeared comfortable in their surroundings and enjoyed interacting with the staff on duty.

We received positive feedback from family members who told us their relatives were well supported, safe and treated with dignity and respect when they stayed at the home. Comments received included, “This service has been a god send to me. [Relative] loves coming, the staff are just fantastic.” And, “I honestly cannot praise them high enough. I know [relative] is well looked after and I have no concerns about anything.”

The service had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices.

Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were relevant to the care provided.

We found sufficient staffing levels were in place to provide support people required. We saw the duty rota was on display in pictorial form in the hallway. This enabled people who used the service to identify which staff would be supporting them during their stay.

Staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.

Staff responsible for assisting people with their medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required.

We saw there was an emphasis on promoting dignity, respect and independence for people supported by the service. They told us they were treated as individuals and received person centred care.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained, was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

The design of the building and facilities provided were appropriate for the care and support provided. Specialised equipment including ceiling track hoists were in place. These enabled staff to safely move and transfer people with complex physical disabilities. Staff spoken with confirmed they had received training to enable them to use the hoists safely.

We found equipment used by staff to support people had been maintained and serviced to ensure they were safe for use.

The service had safe infection control procedures in place and staff had received infection control training. Staff wore protective clothing such as gloves and aprons when needed. This reduced the risk of cross infection.

People who used the service had a care and support plan created with their involvement or a family member. The care plan was person centred and documented all aspects of the persons needs including how they wanted their care and support to be provided, their wants, needs, likes and dislikes.

The relatives of people who stayed at home told us their family members enjoyed the meals and choices made available to them during their stay.

We found people had access to healthcare professionals during their stays and their healthcare needs had been met.

The relatives we spoke with told us staff were caring towards their family members. Staff we spoke with understood the importance of high standards of care to give people meaningful lives.

The service had information with regards to support from an external advocate should this be required by people they supported.

People who stayed at the home told us they enjoyed a variety of activities which were organised for their entertainment.

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people and their family when they commenced using the service. The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the service and had no complaints.

The service used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits and satisfaction surveys to seek the views of people who used stayed at the home and their relatives about the service provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.