Chescombe

Updated 20 November 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.

This inspection took place on 18 and 22 October 2018 and was unannounced.

The inspection was carried out by one Inspector. Prior to the inspection we reviewed all information available to us. This included the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form completed by the provider to describe how the service runs and what plans they have to improve the service. We also reviewed notifications. Notifications are information about specific events which the provider is required to send us by law.

We spent time with six people using the service. Not all were able to answer specific questions, however we observed them interact with staff and they showed us their rooms. We made observations throughout our visit. We spoke with eight members of staff, including the registered manager, another house manager and support workers. We also spoke with family members of one person, and two visiting health professionals. We reviewed four people’s care plans and looked at other records relating to the service such as complaint records, medicine records and quality and safety monitoring.

Updated 20 November 2018

The inspection took place on 18 and 22 October 2018.

Chescombe is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Chescombe accommodates 19 people across three separate houses called Treetops, Lavender and Orchard. In addition there are three self-contained flats.

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.

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 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 received a safe service. There were sufficient staff to meet the needs of people they supported and to enable them to carry out a variety of activities. People received safe support with their medicines. Staff understood the importance of safeguarding people from abuse and reporting any concerns they had.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s health needs and worked with other health and social care professionals to ensure these needs were met. People were given choices and asked for their opinions on meal choices. Staff were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and incorporated the principles of this legislation in to their practice.

We saw that strong relationships had been formed between people using the service and staff. People shared good humour with staff and we saw that people were content and settled in their company. People were supported to maintain contact with their families.

People were given opportunity to take part in a range of activities. The service hired a local hall for activities such as cooking and fundraising events. During our visit, we saw Halloween crafts taking place. There were systems in place for managing and responding to people’s complaints.

The service was well led. There was a registered manager in place supported by individual house managers. There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided. People were given opportunity to provide their views and opinions on the service they received.