Archived: RNIB Gladstone House

Updated 24 November 2021

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 19 October 2021 and was unannounced.

Updated 24 November 2021

About the service

RNIB Gladstone House (Gladstone House) is a residential care home providing personal care to up to six people who are living with sight loss. People may also have additional learning disabilities, autism, emotional or mental health needs. There were six people living in the home at the time of our inspection.

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

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staffed 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 last twelve months had continued to be a period of change at Gladstone House, with several different managers taking responsibility for the leadership of the service. Whilst this had naturally created a period of uncertainty for people and their relatives, a consistent core of staff, along with greater provider oversight had ensured that people achieved good outcomes. A new quality assurance framework and a clear development plan for the service had identified how further improvements to auditing and record keeping were going to be embedded and sustained.

Comprehensive assessments and care plans provided the basis of personalised care and ensured that staff supported people safely and in accordance with their needs and preferences. Risks to people were identified and managed in a way that balanced their safety with their right to freedom, choice and independence.

Staff continued to facilitate opportunities for people to engage in a range of meaningful activities, work towards goals and learn new skills that were personal to them. People were encouraged and supported to lead active and healthy lifestyles. People maintained relationships with those who were important to them and had opportunities to make new friends.

Staff were kind and passionate about their roles and had developed relationships with the people that were inclusive and fun. Staff championed people’s rights and worked collaboratively with each other and external partners to deliver a high standard of support.

People were now actively involved in the running of the service and regularly consulted about all aspects of their care and life within the service.

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 Requires Improvement (published 24 October 2018) and there were two breaches of regulations. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

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.