Creative Support - Bredon Respite Service

Updated 17 July 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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one Inspector.

Service and service type

Creative Support - Bredon Respite Service is a care home although people do not live at the service long term they choose to go there for a short respite period. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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

We gave a short period notice of the inspection. This was because the service is a small care facility and people are often out. We wanted to be sure there would be staff and people at the service to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 27 June and ended on 3 July 2019.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included any statutory notifications sent to us by the provider about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to us by law. We also contacted local commissioners of the service to gain their views. The provider had also completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to formulate a ‘planning tool’; this helped us to identify key areas we needed to focus on during the inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the area manager, registered manager and support staff. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 17 July 2019

About the service

Creative Support - Bredon Respite Service provides short-term residential respite care for up to four adults with learning and physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection two people were staying at the service. The service is located on the ground floor of a large local authority building and is managed as a separate annexe with its own entrance.

In June 2017, CQC published Registering the Right Support. The environment had not been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin this publication although it had lots of good practice in supporting people. The RRS guidance reflects the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible while staying at the service. The registered manager advised they would review the principles in practice to see how they could update the environment to better reflect this publication.

We have made a recommendation for the registered provider to review best practice guidance in updating their service to reflect the principles of ‘Registering the Right Support.’

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People who stayed at the service and their relatives offered exceptional feedback about their respite breaks. The service provided individualised care and support to each person that was tailored to meet every aspect of their needs and requests. There was a friendly atmosphere at the service. People were relaxed and comfortable with staff. We observed kind and respectful interactions between staff and people receiving support.

Staffing levels offered appropriate numbers of staff. Staffing levels were regularly reviewed to make sure they were safe and could meet the specific needs of people when they booked to stay at the service. Staff were long standing members of staff offering great stability and most people had been using the respite service for many years. Staff were familiar with people’s likes and preferences and positive relationships had developed.

Staff received specific training and support and were knowledgeable and experienced in effectively supporting people with their needs. They were well trained in supporting people to stay safe and received regular updated training for safeguarding people and managing medications.

People's needs, and wishes were assessed and recorded as part of an initial assessment where they were supported with a gradual introduction to the service. Support plans were very personalised and detailed people’s individual needs and preferences.

People offered exceptional feedback about the management of the service and especially of the staff. Quality assurance systems showed good oversight and robust management with a focus on high-quality, person-centred care.

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

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

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection of this newly registered service. This service was registered in April 2018 with a new provider Creative Support.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.