Pendennis House

Updated 6 March 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

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the 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 reviewed information we had received about the service since registration. This included looking at information held on our database about the service for example, statutory notifications completed by the registered provider.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff, including the registered and deputy managers a team leader and support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. The service provided records relating to staff training and quality assurance information. We spoke with two professionals and received email information from five staff members and one professional.

Updated 6 March 2020

About the service

Pendennis House was providing care and support to 6 people at the time of the inspection. Five people were living in their own accommodation close to the main office of the domiciliary care service and one person lived in the community some distance from the main office. Support was tailored according to people's assessed needs within the context of people's individual preferences and lifestyles to help people to live and maintain independent lives and remain in their homes.

The service provides specialist support to people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs and physical disabilities to help them to live as independently as possible and achieve their goals. Staff provided flexible support across 24 hours, in some instances overnight.

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 that people who use 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.

People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

The service was exceptional in encouraging people to live as full a life as possible and supported them to achieve the best possible outcomes. People's confidence, independence and wellbeing had improved since they began using the service.

Dedicated and enthusiastic staff ensured that people's daily life was filled with meaningful opportunities, entertainment and involvement in making friends and reducing social isolation.

People felt safe using the service. Staff had been trained to understand how to manage risks to people and how to report any concerns they had about people.

Staff understood how to protect people from abuse through training and literature available to them. Staff were familiar with the policies used by the service.

Recruitment processes were thorough to ensure staff were safe to work with people using the service.

Staff had received essential training and support, and feedback from people indicated that they knew the best way to care for them in line with their needs and preferences.

The service had systems to ensure risks were managed and people were kept safe. People received effective care from a well-supported and trained staff team.

People and relatives told us the service was person-centred. They said care was delivered in line with preferences and wishes. People were consulted with and involved in developing their care wherever possible.

People told us that they had no concerns around staff respecting their dignity and privacy in their own homes. One person told us, "Yes they [staff] give me privacy".

People told us they were confident concerns were always listened to and acted upon if necessary by management team.

Lessons were learned from incidents and accidents by reflecting on them and putting systems in place to mitigate any further issues. Managers and staff were consistently open and transparent when things went wrong and kept records to demonstrate this.

People told us the service was well-led. Staff told us, “It’s just an inclusive team. I have a lot of confidence in the management team” and “Just knowing there is always somebody there you can trust to support you means so much.”

The management team and staff had clear roles and responsibilities and were committed to ensuring the service provided was of a consistent standard. There was an emphasis on developing a person-centred culture within the service.

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

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use 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 people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent .

The service was well-led. The registered manager demonstrated how their open and supportive management style and quality assurance systems promoted a high quality of care that empowered not only people but the staff as well. People and staff told us that they felt valued and supported.

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

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was Good published 27 July 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.