We carried out a review of the data available to us about Streatfeild House on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Streatfeild House, you can give feedback on this 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.
We found the following examples of good practice.
People had been supported to keep in touch with their loved ones through video calling. The home had a range of video conferencing devices in different sizes to suit people’s needs. People who were unable to attend their day centres due to national restrictions were supported to attend them virtually. People who took ‘active art’ classes were able to continue attending these using video calls.
The activity worker held regular resident meetings for people living at the home. These meetings helped people to keep up to date with any changes around visiting restrictions and national guidelines. During the pandemic, staff identified that watching the news had triggered behaviours that challenge for some people and tried to limit the amount of news that was on around the home. Instead, explaining things to people in a way they would understand.
Staff had tried to keep people engaged in activities throughout the pandemic. At Christmas staff arranged for people to be supported to sit out the front of the home with hot chocolates while a choir came to the other side of the front gate and sang carols for them. The provider had fitted hotel style WIFI around the home with two exchanges. This meant that the home would always have a back-up internet system to support people to continue with their video calls. The provider had also bought an interactive gaming projector that people used to play games. Some people had voice-activated devices in their bedroom which they enjoyed interacting with. A staff member had suggested through the home’s suggestion box that people would benefit from having a large smart TV with surround sound to help involve people in games, watching films and programmes. The provider had bought this for people.
The premises was clean and hygienic. There were regular cleaners in place at the service. Staff also completed additional cleaning of frequently touched surfaces at least four times a day. Staff had looked at items around the home and removed furnishings and accessories that could not be easily wiped cleaned. The office had been renovated to increase space between management staff. The provider had bought some wipeable arm covers for some of the material chairs. Staff regularly opened windows where possible, but this had been more difficult in the colder weather. The provider had purchased a fogging machine, a piece of equipment that uses a fine spray to apply cleaning solution, to enhance cleaning of the home.
The provider and registered manager told us that staff had been dedicated to good infection control. Staff had made sacrifices in their personal lives and limited contact with people outside the home as much as possible in order to keep people safe. Staff wellbeing was important to the service and the leadership of the home supported staff. Flash meetings happened daily at midday where staff could raise any concerns. These meetings were also used a reminder about COVID-19 related topics such as personal protective equipment (PPE). Where staff needed additional support, the registered manager signposted them to where support could be accessed, and working arrangements were adjusted for staff as necessary.