Archived: Ansar 2

Updated 10 November 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 was an announced inspection. One day prior to the inspection we contacted the provider and told them of our plans to carry out a comprehensive inspection of the service. This was because the location is a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection took place on 6th October 2015. The inspection team comprised of two adult social care inspectors.

The service had previously been inspected on 28th June 2013 when it was found to be compliant with the regulations. Prior to our inspection we reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR) this is a form that asks the provider to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information we held about the service such as notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. Prior to the inspection we also contacted local authority commissioning, quality assurance and safeguarding teams. They had no concerns about the service.

During the inspection we spoke with one person who used the service, two relatives, three members of staff, one team manager and the registered manager. We looked at two care records, two staff personnel files, staff training records, duty rotas, policies and procedures, quality assurance audits and other records about how the service is managed.

Updated 10 November 2015

Ansar 2 is a semi-detached house on a main road on the outskirts of Radcliffe. It is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to two people with learning disabilities and complex needs. On the day of our inspection one person was living at the home, one person was staying occasionally for Respite Care.

The inspection took place on 6th October 2015. This was an announced inspection. The provider was given one days’ notice because the location is a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection team comprised of two adult social care inspectors.

The service has a registered manager who was present on the day of inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe in Ansar 2. Policies and procedures to safeguard people from abuse were in place. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults; they were able to tell us how to identify and respond to allegations of abuse. Staff were aware of the whistleblowing policy.

A safe system of recruitment was in place. During the inspection we found there were sufficient staff to provide the care and support people needed. We found staff had received the induction, training and supervision required to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles.

Staff and managers showed a commitment to person centred care. They were respectful and caring about the people they supported, they knew people well and were aware of peoples individual needs, like and dislikes.

We saw that people had access to a wide variety of activities outside of the home and opportunities to keep in touch with relatives and friends. Staff were innovative in their approach to ensuring people had a range of activities to choose from.

People’s care records were detailed and person centred. Care plans and risk assessments reflected people’s individual needs and provided sufficient information to ensure staff were able to provide people with safe and appropriate care and support. They were reviewed regularly to ensure they still reflected people’s needs.

We saw that staff respected people’s rights and choices. Staff we spoke with were able to demonstrate a good understanding of the importance of gaining consent to care and support. The registered manager and staff demonstrated a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The MCA and DoLS provide legal safeguards for people who are unable to make their own decisions. During our inspection we heard staff asking people what they wanted and seeking consent when offering support. Staff told us they also look at peoples body language and none verbal communication to see if they are happy and consenting to what they are doing.

The home was clean, well decorated and well maintained. Systems were in place to ensure all necessary health and safety checks were completed and there were procedures to guide staff in the event of emergencies that could affect the provision of care.

We found that people were provided with a choice of suitable and nutritious food. People told us they were able to choose what they wanted to eat and drink, they were involved in planning the menu and shopping.

We found that robust systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service. Regular checks were carried out and issues and action taken recorded. We saw that the provider used a variety of methods to gather people’s views about the service, ideas for the future and how it could be improved.

People we spoke with said they had confidence in the registered manager and said they were approachable. They told us they could contact managers at any time if they needed to. Staff spoke positively about the registered manager and other managers; felt supported and enjoyed working for the organisation.