Belmont Road

Updated 4 February 2020

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

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

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider, or registered manager, would be available to support the inspection. We also needed to give the provider enough time to explain, to the person living at the care home, that the inspector would be visiting.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the person who used the service. We spoke with four members of staff including the provider’s Head of Care, registered manager and care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included the person’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data, policies and procedures and quality assurance records. We spoke with a relative of the person who uses the service. We spoke with one professional who regularly visited the service and obtained feedback from the local authority about the care home.

Updated 4 February 2020

About the service

Belmont Road is a residential home that provides care for one person who is living with a learning disability.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures the person, who uses the service, can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. The person using the service receives planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The care home is a standard domestic property which has been adapted to meet the person’s needs. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with the person.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The person was supported by staff who were caring. The person's views were listened to and they were successfully supported to gradually increase their skills and confidence. There had been a positive impact on the person as a result of the care they received from the staff.

The person was supported by staff who understood how to protect them from potential abuse, and also how to manage risks in a positive way and enable the person to live their life. The care home environment was clean and safe; and staff knew what to do in emergencies. The person was supported by staff who had been selected based on their attitude, skills and abilities. Staff ensured the person’s medicine was managed safely. The registered manager reviewed incidents, so lessons could be learned from any themes identified.

The person’s needs had been assessed and care plans were in place which guided staff on how to support the person effectively. Care staff were well trained and were supported by the registered manager. The person was supported to choose what they wanted to eat and drink and was encouraged to learn new skills. The building met the person’s needs and the person told us they enjoyed living there.

The person was assisted to access the healthcare support they needed by staff who understood how to help reduce the person’s anxieties. The person was supported in ways which respected their rights and the staff understood the importance of ensuring any decisions taken were always in the person’s best interest.

The person was supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The person received care that was personalised to meet their needs. They chose the activities they wanted to engage in and staff were attentive to any changing needs. The person’s communication needs were met by staff who took the time to explain things to them. The person had been supported to develop friendships, which had been difficult for them to do previously. This had widened their social circle and helped boost their self-confidence.

The person had been supported to achieve positive outcomes because of the support provided by the care team and registered manager. They had been supported to reduce the number of incidents by the introduction of a consistent and stable staff team. The registered manager understood the regulatory requirements of providing care services; and was approachable, open to new ideas, and easily accessible to the person, staff and relatives.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure the person, who uses the service, can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for the person using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion.

The person’s support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 18 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous 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.