Rowandale

Updated 15 August 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 30 May 2019 and 4 June 2019 and was unannounced.

Inspection Team:

This inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Rowandale provides personal care and accommodation to adults with a learning disability and/or a physical disability.

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.

What we did before the inspection

Our inspection plan took into account information the provider sent us since they were last inspected in December 2016. We requested information from local authority commissioners and safeguarding to see if there were any areas of concern we needed to consider. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with; the registered manager, deputy manager, two care staff, the communication coordinator and the lifestyle facilitator. We spoke with the relatives of two people living in the home. We attended a music session and observed staff interactions throughout part of the day and a lunch service.

We reviewed; the policies and procedures, records relating to safeguarding, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, incidents and accidents, complaints and compliments, audits and governance, staff meetings, training records for all staff, the recruitment records for three staff, the care records for four people and the medicines records for two people.

Updated 15 August 2019

About the service:

Rowandale is a care home providing personal care and accommodation for up to 11 people with a learning disability and/or physical disabilities. At the time of inspection there were 11 people living in the home.

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

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

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered to support 11 people. 11 people were using the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. There were two communal areas a sensory room situated just off the large lounge/dining room. This room was also a route through to other rooms. The service had tried to mitigate the impact of this on people. For one person who found it too busy, a separate lounge area had been created. People's bedrooms were spacious and reflected their taste and preferences. People had busy lives which reduced the amount of time they spent in the home.

People living at Rowandale continued to receive an exceptionally person-centred service. The provider went above and beyond to understand and respond to people's needs and preferences. Using total communication techniques, they had supported people's ability to express themselves and included their wishes in care planning and activities. People were engaged in a broad range of meaningful activities which improved their quality of life.

People continued to be safe and protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm. Comprehensive risk assessments followed best practice guidance and included positive risk taking to optimise people's opportunities to engage in activities.

The provider followed their robust recruitment procedure which ensured all staff had been safely employed. Induction training was thorough and the training for staff was up to date which meant they could provide effective care.

People's needs had been thoroughly assessed and their care plans included input from families and community-based professionals. People's health needs were identified, and they were supported to maintain regular appointments and screening.

People were supported to eat and drink, the service employed a speech and language therapist (swallowing) who provided specialist advice for people needing modified diets. Dieticians were involved when required for people who were nutritionally at risk.

The provider were compliant with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People had been supported to make decisions in line with the best interest process in the Act.

Staff were observed to be kind and caring throughout the inspection. People were supported respectfully in ways that upheld their dignity. Excellent communication strategies ensured people had been supported to express their views.

The service was well led by a committed management team who continued to maintain high-quality, person-centred care, by leading by example and using effective checks and audits of care provided. Good communication at handovers, team meetings and one to one meetings ensured the team were well supported and informed.

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 the service was rated as outstanding in the Responsive domain and good in the other four domains. This meant the service was rated as Good overall.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned comprehensive inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to review information we receive about the service until we return to visit as part of our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.