The Care Quality Commission
  • Services in your home
  • Homecare service

Archived: Birtenshaw Supported Living

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

123 Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, Bolton, Lancashire, BL7 9BG (01204) 418852

Provided and run by:
Birtenshaw

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile

All Inspections

24 July 2015

During a routine inspection

This announced inspection took place on 24 July 2015. The last inspection was carried out on 16 April 2013 and the service was found to be meeting all regulatory requirements inspected.

For the purpose of this report people living at the home wish to be referred to as young adults.

The service provides personal care and support for four young adults with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities, living in a supported tenancy. The young adults had previously been cared for at Birtenshaw School and on reaching adulthood had moved into their own home. Care and support are provided 24 hours a day, whilst promoting the maximum independence of each person.

The property is an adapted bungalow in the Bromley Cross area of Bolton and is close to local amenities and public transport.

There was no registered manager at the home at the time of our inspection. The acting manager explained they had applied to become the registered manager had been forwarded to the Care Quality Commission. 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.

The service had a senior member of staff in post who has the responsibility for the running of the home and was also available to assist with inspection. The senior member of staff was supported by the acting manager.

We met with all the young adults living at the home. It was evident from their conservations and actions that they were comfortable with the staff on duty and that good relationships had been made between them.

There was an up to date vulnerable adults safeguarding policy in place and information and safeguarding contact numbers were accessible to staff. Staff had undertaken training in both child protection and safeguarding vulnerable adults and demonstrated a good understanding of what constitutes abuse.

We saw that the service carried out robust recruitment procedures. We looked at three staff files and these contained an application form, references and further proof of identity, for example a copy of their birth certificate. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks were carried out. A DBS helps to ensure that staff were suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

16 April 2013

During a routine inspection

Care was provided in a large bungalow which could accommodate up to four adults. On the day of the inspection there were three young male adults who were living in an environment that was clean and well maintained.

We spoke with two people who used the service and comments included: "I like living here, the staff are good", "They (the staff) make sure I am alright and let me achieve as much independence as possible" and "I am fine here, I like going out with X, they look after me".

We found appropriate systems in place to safeguard the adults who were supported by Birtenshaw Domiciliary Care Services. The registered manger explained safeguarding was discussed at each supervision session with staff and also at staff meetings. Safeguarding was also monitored appropriately by the provider. One person who used the service said: "I do feel safe here, the staff look after me".

We reviewed the staff training matrix and saw that staff had attended a range of training to support their roles and responsibilities.

Birtenshaw Domiciliary Care Services had appropriate systems in place to effectively monitor the quality of the service provided.

Satisfaction questionnaires were used to gain feedback about the service from both the people who used the service, their next of kin or representatives. A feedback file was maintained and we noted various letters and cards expressing satisfaction with the service and thanking staff for a high standard of care provided.