Fairfield Playcentre

Updated 4 September 2019

The inspection:

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Not everyone using Fairfield Playcentre receives regulated activity; the Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The service had a manager registered with the CQC. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small, and we needed to be sure that the registered manager or other senior staff would be present.

What we did:

Before the inspection we looked at information we held about the service. This information included any statutory notifications that the provider had sent to the CQC. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. The provider had completed a Provider Information Return [PIR] in July 2019. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information and the previous inspection report to plan our inspection.

During the inspection at the office we spoke with the registered manager and support manager requested feedback by email from each support worker, although none replied.

We reviewed a variety of records which related to children’s individual care plans and the running of the service. These records included care files of all four children receiving personal care, two staff employment records and a range of other records including information given to children and families about the service.

After the inspection

We received feedback from one parent of a child using the service.

Updated 4 September 2019

About the service:

Fairfield Playcentre provided predominantly support to children to participate in activities, with focus on positive behavioural support with minimal physical care support required. At the time of this inspection there were four children receiving a few hours of support each week.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People's experience of using this service:

The service placed the children and their families at the heart of the support they provided. Each family was provided with support usually for a few hours each week, however the amount of support provided was flexible and based on each child and their family’s current circumstances. A relative that contacted us felt their child was safe and although suggesting an improvement for planning summer holiday support, trusted the way the service worked with their child and themselves.

Staff were safely recruited, well trained and supported with core and personalised training programmes, which were geared to the specific needs of children and their families at any given time. Staff were provided with clear guidance about how to report any concerns about neglect or abuse. A local authority commissioner who contacted us said that the service kept children safe. CQC had not received any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of children being supported.

Children were supported safely, and risks regarding their support needs was assessed and met. The service did not administer medicines to anyone and this was made clear to families using the service.

The registered manager regularly kept the standard of the service provided under review along with oversight from the board of trustees of the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection in February 2017 the service had been rated as good in all key questions.

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection, based upon the last rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.