Kenwood House

Updated 7 June 2019

The inspection: We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) 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 Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one inspector, one specialist advisor nurse and one expert by experience who had experience in supporting people with learning disabilities. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type: Kenwood House 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 supports a maximum of six people with learning disabilities/and or autism in one large house.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection: The inspection was unannounced.

What we did: Prior to the inspection, the registered manager completed a Provider Information Return. This is a form that the provider must send to CQC with key information about the service, what improvements they have planned and what the service does well.

We reviewed the information that we held about the service. This included any statutory notifications received. Statutory notifications are specific pieces of information about events, which the provider is required to send to us by law.

We sought feedback from the local authority contracts monitoring and safeguarding adult's teams. We contacted the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), who commission services from the provider. We also contacted HealthWatch, who are the independent consumer champion for people who use health and social care services. The feedback from these parties was used in the planning of our inspection.

During the inspection we reviewed documentation, inspected the safety of the premises and carried out observations in communal areas. We carried out telephone interviews with two members of staff after visiting the service.

We spoke with two people who used service, one relative and three members of staff including the registered manager. We reviewed the care records for one person, medicine records for two people and the recruitment records for two members of staff.

We looked at quality assurance audits carried out by the registered manager and the provider. We also looked at the staffing rotas, training records, meeting minutes, policies and procedures, environmental safety and information related to the governance of the service.

Updated 7 June 2019

About the service: Kenwood House supports people living with a learning disability and/or autism. The service can accommodate up to six people in one large domestic dwelling and on the date of this inspection there were two people living at the service.

People’s experience of using this service: 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. People’s support was centred around their choices, goals and independence. Staff worked in partnership with people to support them to be active members of the local community and live as independently as possible.

People and their relatives were positive about the support provided by staff. Staff knew people well and were caring. Staff encouraged people to make choices about their day which reflected their individuality.

The service worked in partnership with people, relatives, staff and other healthcare professionals to create individual care plans that helped to promote people’s independence. People had regular reviews of their needs and all aspects of their care was consented to.

People’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff at all times. People were supported to attend and engage in activities in the local community which were of interest or benefit to them.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Medicines were managed safely and support was provided in line with best practice. Care records were detailed and reflected the current needs of the person. The premises were safe and adapted appropriately to support people.

Staff were safely recruited and received regular training. New staff were provided with a thorough induction which provided them with the relevant knowledge and skills needed to support people.

The registered manager and provider monitored the effectiveness of the service through robust quality and assurance systems. These systems allowed the service to address issues, provide action plans and improve the quality of care provided to people.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered in May 2018.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the previous inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through information we receive from the service, the public and partnership agencies. We will re-visit the service in-line with our inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.