Archived: Handsworth

Information for our inspection was gained from speaking with three people who lived at the home and four of their relatives, speaking with five staff working at the home, talking to and reviewing information from other authorities from looking at records at the service.

Below is a summary of what we found.

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt safe. Relatives said, 'we have no concerns about safety at the home, we leave after visiting knowing they are well looked after and cared for by the staff'.

People and their relatives told us they felt people's dignity was respected. They said, 'staff always, always knock on doors before going into people's rooms'.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes. While no applications had needed to be submitted, relevant policies and procedures were in place. Appropriate staff had been trained to understand when an application should be made, and how to submit one.

We found that risk assessments had been undertaken to identify any potential risk and the actions required to manage the risk. This meant that people were not put at unnecessary risk but also had access to choice and remained in control of decisions about their care and lives.

People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines.

There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place. We checked staff files and found the provider had maintained a rigorous recruitment process.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs were assessed with them and their representatives, and they were involved in writing the support plans. People and their families were having pre-arranged review meetings with staff during our visit. Relatives told us they found these reviews 'brilliant, it is really useful to all sit down together and talk about their care and what we think about it'.

Staff were provided with training to ensure they had the skills to meet people's needs.

People and relatives told us they were happy with the care and support staff provided and people's needs were met. It was clear from our observations that staff had a good understanding of people's care and support needs and they knew how to meet them and avoid unnecessary risks.

Other professionals and individuals were involved in regular meetings and reviews with each individual to ensure their care and support was still appropriate. Specialist nurses and social workers were visiting and supporting people during our visit.

Is the service caring?

During our inspection we saw people were very comfortable in the presence of staff. We observed staff giving support to people throughout the inspection and they were respectful and treated people in a friendly and supportive way.

We spoke with three people and they all confirmed that they were happy with the care provided. They said, 'I'm happy enough', 'the staff take me out, they are taking me on holiday soon, they are very nice' and 'staff are good'.

We spoke with four relatives, they said they were very happy with the care and support their loved one received, comments included, 'this is the best place they have ever been to', 'staff are excellent, they are like our extended family', 'staff are professional, they know clients so well ', 'they are really looked after, I never thought they (staff)would care for them as well as I did, but they have, we are really happy' and 'a marvellous place we would be lost without it'.

People's preferences and interests had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes.

Is the service responsive?

People completed a range of activities in and outside the service on a daily basis. People were assisted to access the community and attend day services, appointments at local health services and took part in day trips to the coast and other attractions. People said they were looking forward to going away on holiday with their friends and staff.

People and relatives knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy and said they would tell the manager. They commented, "I would go and see one of the managers, they are always around and I know they will sort any problems very quickly'.

Is the service well-led?

The service worked with other agencies and services to make sure people received their care in a joined up way.

The provider had an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people using the service and others. People who used the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and these were acted on. We saw evidence that the provider carried out annual satisfaction surveys. Feedback was analysed and the manager, with the help of the provider, took appropriate action. We saw that the results of the surveys were very positive.

People said they had regular 'house meetings' where any issues or concerns and plans for the running of the home were discussed and acted upon.

Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities. Discussions on best practice, improved ways of working and incidents reviews were common throughout formal team meetings and informal discussions.