Siesta

Updated 13 October 2018

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 was 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 inspection took place on 30 August 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48hours’ notice to be sure there would be people and staff available to speak to us. One adult social care inspector undertook the inspection.

Prior to the inspection, we reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the home, what the home does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed information we held about the service. This included whether we had received any statutory notifications. A statutory notification contains information about significant events that effect people's safety, which the provider is required to send to us by law. We asked the local authority who commissions with the service for their views on the care and support provided.

During the inspection we met with all five people staying at the service. We also spoke with four members of staff, a relative, the provider’s deputy manager and a member of the service’s management team. Following the inspection, we spoke to a further two relatives and received an email from a relative and two health and social care professionals; all provided positive feedback about the service.

To help us assess and understand how people's care needs were being met, we reviewed two people’s care records. We looked at how people were supported to manage their medicines and their finances. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service; the recruitment files for the two most recently recruited staff; training records as well as the systems used to monitor the quality of the care provided.

Updated 13 October 2018

This announced comprehensive inspection took place on 30 August 2018. This was the service’s first inspection since registering with CQC in April 2018.

Siesta is a respite unit for people with a learning disability and is registered to support up to seven people at any one time. People stay at the service for varying periods of time: some people stay for two days each week while others spend one to two weeks a month at the service. At the time of the inspection there were five people receiving respite support.

People using this service 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. Accommodation is provided over two floors. On the ground floor there are five spacious en-suite bedrooms fitted with equipment to support people with impaired mobility. One the first floor, there is a two-bedroomed self-contained apartment. A large communal lounge, dining area and kitchen are situated on the ground floor.

Siesta respite service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin 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. During the inspection the service was able to demonstrate these principles through individualised support for people to be actively involved in the community and to learn new skills.

The service had a registered manager. 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 received safe care and support while staying at Siesta. There were sufficient staff available to support people with their care needs as well as to participate in community activities. Staff had been safely recruited and were aware of their responsibilities to safeguard people from abuse. People’s care needs and any associated risks were documented and staff were knowledgeable about these and how to support people safely while respecting their preferences. Where specialist advice was necessary to guide staff about people’s care needs, this was sought and the guidance was documented to ensure consistency in care provision. Training ensured staff had the skills and competence to support people well.

People told us they were happy at Siesta; we saw they enjoyed being with staff and were pleased to see them when they arrived for their stay. Relatives said the service was safe and they were very pleased with the support provided. Where people were supported to manage their medicines and finances, this was done safely.

Staff were aware of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in that it should be assumed each person has capacity to make decisions about their care and support. Care plans guided staff about how to support people with decision making and expressing their choices. Communication passports guided staff about how to support people to express themselves and people’s communication was supported in a number of ways. For example, with the use of computers, signs, symbols and sign language.

Staff described the culture and aims of the service as being “person-centred”, “promoting independence”, “community involvement” and “family”. Staff were passionate about supporting people in a way that promoted their independence, expanding their experiences and protected their right not to be discriminated against. This culture was reflected in the comments we received from relatives, one of whom described the service as “brilliant”.

The service was well managed. Relatives and staff said the registered manager and management team were approachable and they felt able to raise any concerns they might have.

The registered manager and management team ensured people, relatives and staff received the support they needed. Regular meetings provided the opportunity to share information, review how well the service was supporting people and discuss how the service could be improved. Quality assurance systems were used effectively to ensure the environment remained safe and the service was meeting people’s needs.