The Tidings

Updated 7 July 2021

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

The Tidings 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

Due to people’s complex needs, and the small size of the service, we gave 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was to ensure our visit did not impact on people’s anxiety. Also to ensure the registered manager, who is also registered manager for two of the provider’s other services, would be available to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included the provider’s action plan following our last inspection in February 2020.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

Our inspection activity was undertaken over 10 days. Starting on the 5 May 2021 when we visited the service. During the visit we looked around the environment and met the two people living in the service, observing the care and support they received. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s medication records, risk assessments, cleaning schedules, medication audits, policies and procedures.

We contacted both people’s relatives to gain their views of the service. We also spoke with the registered manager and two support workers.

The provider sent us policies and procedures as requested, including infection control, visiting policy and recruitment information.

After analysing the information we gave feedback to the registered manager on 15 May 2021.

Updated 7 July 2021

The Tidings is a residential care home that provides care and support for up to two people who have a learning disability and or autism. The Tidings is a detached house, and at the time of our inspection there were two people living in the service.

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

We received positive feedback from people’s relatives who told us they wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the service to others. One described the happy and homely environment where staff, “Do what they’re supposed to do… Do what they promise… It’s a kind place.”

Relatives felt their family members were provided with safe care, in a homely, clean environment. Staff had received training in safeguarding and understood their responsibilities in reporting any concerns. People received their medicines safely as prescribed by trained staff. Safe recruitment processes were being followed and there were enough staff available to support people’s individual needs.

People living in the service, staff, and relatives felt the positive management of the service ensured good communication and they felt comfortable to voice an opinion and raise any issues, knowing they would be acted upon.

Staff had been sensitive to people’s anxiety about the pandemic, providing individual support to explain why staff were wearing face masks and carrying out routine testing. Staff explained to people why they were unable to temporarily attend some of the external activities they enjoyed, whilst creating new indoor activities to support their well-being.

People were 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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. The outcomes for people using the service promoted choice and control, independence and inclusion. One person told us, “I tell staff what to do,” not the other way round, and they felt included in decisions. Staff and leadership focused on ensuring people reached their personal goals through person centred approaches.

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 requires improvement (published 4 March 2020).

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 17 February 2020. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Tidings on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.