This unannounced inspection took place on 23 July 2015. The service provides support for up to 5 people with acquired brain injuries. At the time of the inspection there were 4 people using the service.
There is a registered manager in post. 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 said that they felt safe in the house. Staff understood the need to protect people from harm and abuse and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns.
Staffing levels ensured that people received the support they required at the times they needed it. The recruitment practices were thorough and protected people from being cared for by staff that were unsuitable to work at the service.
Care records contained individual risk assessments to protect people from identified risks and help keep them safe. They provided information to staff about action to be taken to minimise any risks whilst allowing people to be as independent as possible.
Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their support. People participated in a range of activities both in the house and in the community and received the support they needed to help them do this. People were able to choose where they spent their time and what they did.
People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed. Records showed that medicines were obtained, stored, administered and disposed of safely. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare services when needed.
People were actively involved in decisions about their care and support needs. There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).
Staff had good relationships with the people who lived at the house. Staff and people living in the house were confident that issues would be addressed and that any concerns they had would be listened to. Staff were aware of the importance of managing complaints promptly and in line with the provider’s policy.
The registered manager was visible and accessible and staff and people had confidence in the way the service was run.