This announced inspection was conducted on 25 June 2018. We gave two days’ notice of our intention to carry out this inspection as it is a small service and the people who live there are regularly out in the wider community. Juga Homes Ltd is registered to accommodate two people with mental health needs and the service was at full occupancy at the time of the inspection. The service consists of an ordinary two storey domestic property and a single storey small building in the rear garden. One of the bedrooms is in the main house and has en-suite facilities. The second bedroom is in the single storey small building, which also has a bathroom and a kitchenette. The main house also contains a lounge with a dining area, a kitchen, a downstairs bathroom and an upstairs toilet. The staff office is situated in a newly built chalet unit in the rear garden. Juga Homes Ltd is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. This service was inspected for the first time on 31 July 2017, following its registration in January 2016. We did not rate Juga Homes Ltd because at the time of the inspection people had been living at the care home for a short time, therefore we had not been able to gather sufficient information to determine how the provider would meet people’s needs over a longer period.
There was a registered manager in post, who was present during the inspection visit. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they 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 is the proprietor of Juga Homes Ltd and is therefore also the ‘registered individual’ for the service.
At the previous inspection we had found that the registered manager had not always ensured that references had been obtained from the most recent employer and had been verified to ensure authenticity. At this inspection the personnel records we looked at demonstrated that the registered manager had implemented a thorough approach to the recruitment process, which ensured that people who used the service were appropriately supported by staff with suitable skills and experience.
Staff had received training to safely administer people’s prescribed medicines and at the time of the inspection were supporting one person with their medicine needs. Although medicines were safely stored and the registered manager routinely checked to ensure that stock balances reconciled with the medicine administration record (MAR) charts, we found that the system for signing MAR charts was not sufficiently detailed for accountability and auditing purposes.
We have made one recommendation within the main report in relation to the provider's system for staff to sign medicine administration charts.
Staff understood how to identify and report any safeguarding concerns, and were aware of how to whistleblow about any issues of concern related to the running of the service. Risk assessments were conducted to ensure people were kept as safe as possible from potential harm.
People were supported by sufficient staff, who had received training and supervision to carry out their roles and responsibilities. The registered manager and staff member we spoke with were familiar with people’s individual needs and knew how to support people to meet their wishes and goals. This included support to access leisure facilities, local amenities and health care services.
People’s dignity and privacy was promoted, and staff supported people to make their own choices. The registered manager and the staff team sought people’s consent before they provided care and support in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. The registered manager and staff member at the inspection demonstrated that they understood the legal requirements of the MCA.
The person we spoke with was happy with the quality of the food. People were supported to make choices about the menu and participate in the preparation of meals and snacks.
People’s needs had been assessed by the provider before they moved in. Individual care and support plans were developed in consultation with people who used the service, health and social care professionals, and their relatives if applicable. Care plans were periodically reviewed and were always updated when there were changes in people’s needs and aspirations.
People demonstrated that they liked the registered manager and staff team and felt comfortable about the prospect of voicing any concerns or complaints.
The registered manager updated her knowledge so that she could improve how staff increased their understanding about how to effectively support people who used the service. There was evidence in place that the registered manager carried out specific monitoring, for example daily visual checks were undertaken to ensure people were provided with a safe environment. The registered manager made unannounced visits to the service and we discussed the need to always document her findings.