Normanshire Care - Longwood Gardens

Normanshire Care – Longwood Gardens is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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 is registered to provide care to a maximum of six people and six people were using the service at the time of our inspection.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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.

There were enough staff working at the service to meet people’s needs and checks were carried out on staff before they commenced working at the service. Appropriate safeguarding procedures were in place. Risk assessments provided information about how to support people in a safe manner. Procedures were in place to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Medicines were managed in a safe manner. Steps had been taken to help ensure the premises were safe.

People’s needs were assessed before they started using the service to determine if those needs could be met. Staff received on-going training and supervision to support them in their role. People were able to make choices for themselves and the service operated within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People told us they enjoyed the food. People were supported to access relevant health care professionals.

People told us they were treated with respect and that staff were caring. Staff had a good understanding of how to promote people’s privacy, independence and dignity. People’s right to confidentiality was promoted. The service sought to meet needs in relation to equality, diversity and human rights.

Care plans were in place which set out how to meet people’s individual needs. Care plans were subject to regular review. People were supported to engage in various activities, both in the home and the community. The service had a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to make a complaint. Care plans were in place around end of life care.

Staff and people spoke positively about the senior staff at the service. Systems were in place for monitoring the quality of care and support provided. Some of these included seeking the views of people who used the service.

We have made one recommendation in this report, that systems are introduced for checking monies held by the service on behalf of people.

Normanshire Care - Longwood Gardens is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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 is registered to provide support to a maximum of six adults with learning disabilities or on the autistic spectrum. Five people were using the service at the time of our inspection.

The service had a registered manage in place. 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.

During the inspection we found two breaches of regulations. This was because the service did not have appropriate systems in place to ensure people’s safety and quality assurance and monitoring systems were not always effective. We have made three good practice recommendations. These are related to staff induction training, pre-admission assessments and issues around capacity and consent to care. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of the full version of this report.

Systems were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse. Risk assessments were in place which included information about how to mitigate risks people faced. Sufficient numbers of staff worked at the service to meet people’s needs and robust staff recruitment practices were in place.

People’s needs were assessed before they commenced using the service. Staff undertook training and supervision to help develop their skills and knowledge. People were able to eat a balanced diet and said they liked the food. The service worked with other agencies to promote people’s health and wellbeing. People were only deprived of their liberty where DoLS authorisations were in place.

People told us they were treated with respect and that staff were caring. Staff had a good understanding of how to promote people’s privacy, independence and dignity.

Care plans were in place which set out how to meet people’s individual needs. People were supported to engage in various activities. The service had a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to make a complaint.

The service had an open and inclusive atmosphere and staff spoke positively about the registered manager. The service worked with other agencies to help develop good practice.