Stonham Albion House

Updated 18 July 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.’

A comprehensive inspection took place on 21 May 2018. We gave the provider four days’ notice of the inspection visit, because the location provides a domiciliary care service to a small care home for adults with learning disability, who are often out during the day. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an inspection manager.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we held about the provider, including the provider's information return (PIR). 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 although this is not detailed on the exemplar report. We looked at statutory notifications that the provider had sent in.to the Care Quality Commission [CQC]. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We also contacted the local authorities that commission services from the provider to gain their views about the service. We used this information to help inform our inspection planning.

During the inspection the registered manager was available throughout the day. The registered manager informed us that the people who live within Stonham Albion House like to be referred to as ‘customers’, so we have followed this theme throughout this report.

We spoke with all four customers within the service, four members of staff and a health care professional.

We checked two care records, two medication records, and one staff record. We reviewed complaints and compliments documents, quality audits, policies and procedures, staff rotas, staff training records and health and safety records related to the management of the service.

Updated 18 July 2018

Stonham Albion House provides domiciliary care services to four customers with learning disabilities who live in individual flats within the town of Driffield. 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.

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 on going 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.

Systems and processes were in place to support people to stay safe. Staff understood actions to take to reduce risks and promote positive risk taking for customers to live independently. Customers and staff were confident if they had any concerns for customer’s safety, the registered manager would support them fully. Staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and report abuse.

Customers were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Detailed care plans and risk assessments were completed which explained to staff how customers wished to receive their care and support. Staff were trained and understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act.

Staff were kind and caring. The focus of the service was on the customers. Staff’s understanding of what was important to the customers was evident throughout the inspection and customers were supported to live independently and fully supported with decision making. Staff showed real empathy for the people they cared for.

Information was available to staff to support customer’s health care needs. Care records guided staff. Advice and guidance was obtained from health care professionals to fully achieve person- centred support. Activities that were meaningful to the customers were planned and staff encouraged customer feedback. A complaints procedure was in place and customers knew who to speak to if they had any concerns.

The registered manager and staff had a clear vision of empowering customers with learning disabilities. Customers told us they liked living at Stonham Albion House and said that moving there, was the best thing that had happened to them. Staff enjoyed working there and said they received good support from the registered manager and the client service manager.