Streatfeild House

Updated 6 January 2022

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Streatfield House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes 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.

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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received from the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with 10 people using the service and nine members of staff including the provider, registered manager, deputy manager, activities co-ordinator, cook and four members of car staff. We looked at four care plans and documents relating to risk, medicine management and auditing.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate the evidence we found. We examined documents that the provider had sent to us electronically for example, two further care plans and the staff training matrix. We spoke with five relatives and three professionals.

Updated 6 January 2022

About the service

Streatfeild House is a care home providing personal care and support for up to 22 older people living with a learning disability and / or autism in one adapted building. At the time of the inspection there were 21 people living at the home.

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

People received the care and support they needed safely. Staff had been trained to identify risks and to raise issues and concerns. Risk assessments had been completed covering all aspects of people’s lives. Staff had been recruited safely and there were enough staff to cover all shifts. Medicines were stored and administered by appropriately trained staff and records were kept. Staff followed infection prevention and control procedures. Accident and incidents had been recorded and any trends identified and lessons learned shared with staff.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively. We were satisfied that effective measures were in place.

The registered manager carried out pre-assessments, making sure people’s care and support needs could be met. People’s needs were regularly reviewed. Staff received training relevant to support people and meet their needs. Staff supported people to meet their health and social care needs, working with other professionals and with the support of relatives, advocates and loved ones.

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.

People were treated with respect and dignity by staff that knew them well. Staff told us about the importance of dignity and treated people the way ‘you would like to be treated.’ Staff were caring and people’s privacy was respected. People’s independence and choice was promoted without compromising safety.

Care plans had moved to an electronic system and continued to be written in a person-centred way. Care plan notes were updated by staff using handheld devices so the latest information was available to everyone. Consideration had been given to people’s communication needs with the use of pictorial representations and signs in support of written information. A complaints policy was in place and accessible to everyone and we saw that complaints made had been addressed within set timeframes. End of life plans were in place for people who were able to take part in those discussions if they wished.

The registered manager had worked at the service in various roles for many years. They invested in a positive culture and everyone we spoke with was full of praise for the registered manager. The registered manager was aware of and had complied with their responsibilities under the duty of candour. Thorough auditing processes were in place overseen by the registered manager and the provider. Systems were in place to capture feedback from people, staff ,relatives and professionals.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.

Right support:

• Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and independence. People enjoyed living at the home and were supported every day with a range of activities to suit everyone, some done in groups, others with one to one support and others independently. Independence was promoted with everyone being encouraged and supported to achieve their goals.

Right care:

• Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. Maintaining people’s dignity was central to everything we saw during our inspection. People were treated with kindness and had their privacy respected. People were provided with opportunities and were supported to live their lives as they wished.

Right culture:

• Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Staff knew people well and were passionate about providing the best care and support for people. People, staff and relatives referred to the home as a family of people. Relatives told us of their confidence in the staff and the care provided which was a great comfort to them and that they were involved and were kept informed of even the smallest changes.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 4 April 2019 and this is the first rating inspection. On 15 February 2021 we carried out a targeted inspection, looking at infection prevention and control.

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.