Archived: The Barn

Updated 19 January 2016

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 inspection took place on 9 December 2015 and was unannounced. It was carried out by one inspector. Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included previous inspection reports, statutory notifications (issues providers are legally required to notify us about), and other enquiries received from or about the service. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with the Care Quality Commission in October 2014.

During the inspection we spoke with the three people who lived in the home, a registered manager from one of the provider’s other homes who visited on the day of inspection and two other members of staff. We observed staff practices and their interactions with the people they were supporting. We reviewed three care plans and other records relevant to the running of the home. This included staff training records, medication records, complaints and incident files. We also telephoned relatives of the three people who lived in the home to obtain their views on the service.    

Updated 19 January 2016

This inspection took place on 9 December 2015 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with the Care Quality Commission in October 2014.

The service provides accommodation and support for a maximum of three people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum condition. At the time of the inspection there were three people living in the home with mild learning disabilities or autistic spectrum conditions. People had a range of verbal communication skills and one person communicated through signs rather than speech. People were relatively independent and able to carry out most of their own personal care with prompting from staff. People needed staff support to go out into the community to help keep them safe from harm or abuse.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

The registered manager was on leave on the day of the inspection. We met a registered manager from one of the provider’s other homes who visited the home in their absence. The manager told us the service philosophy was about identifying each person’s individual needs and responding to each person’s needs effectively. Their aim was to improve and develop people’s life skills and to enable them to become as independent as they wanted to be.

There was a calm and friendly atmosphere in the home and people and staff all got on well together. Staff received service specific training and they were regularly assessed by management to ensure they supported people safely and competently. People were also supported to access external healthcare professionals when needed.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and to keep them safe. One person who lived in the home said “Yes, I’m treated well and feel safe”. Staff had a good understanding of each person’s support needs, behaviours and preferences. A relative said “In every way, I’m extremely pleased with the care [person’s name] receives”.

People had choice and control over their daily routines and staff respected and acted on the decisions people made. Where people lacked the mental capacity to make certain decisions about their care and welfare the provider knew how to protect people’s rights.

People were supported to be as independent as they wanted to be. They helped with daily living tasks such as meal preparation, laundry and cleaning. People were supported to visit relatives, access the community and participate in social or leisure activities of their choice on a regular basis.

The home was located in a rural setting and had spacious and secure accommodation and grounds. People were free to go out into the field at the rear of the home for outside leisure activities or to feed the home’s farm animals. People’s rooms were large and were furnished and decorated to suit each individual’s tastes and choices.

People, relatives and staff all commented on how approachable and supportive the provider’s management team were. They said they could approach any of the managers for help or advice whenever needed.

The provider had an effective quality assurance system which ensured the service maintained good standards of care and promoted continuing improvements.