• Care Home
  • Care home

The Meath Epilepsy Charity

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Westbrook Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 2QH (01483) 415095

Provided and run by:
The Meath Trustee Company Limited

Latest inspection summary

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Our current view of the service

Requires improvement

Updated 20 August 2024

Date of assessment: 18 September to 10 October 2024. We visited the service on the 18 and 25 September. This assessment took place in response to concerns raised by the local authority and a member of the public, as well as to follow up on breaches of regulation identified at our last inspection in October 2022. The Meath Epilepsy Charity is a residential care home providing personal care to people with epilepsy as well as living with a learning or physical disability. There are 2 registered managers who oversee nine individual houses or flats. Each residence has a deputy manager and senior carer. There are communal resources available to all those living at the location including a skills centre, café and gym. At the time of our assessment there were 79 people using the service. We assessed 12 quality statements in the key questions of safe and well led. We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence, and good access to community facilities. We identified 2 breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance which we also identified in the last CQC inspection in October 2022. People using the service were not adequately protected from the risk of harm. Governance systems and audits were in place however, these were not always effective and more work was needed to ensure they provided an accurate view of service and drove improvements in a timely way. The oversight and governance systems in place had not identified the shortfalls we found during our assessment. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

People's experience of the service

Updated 20 August 2024

People told us they felt safe, staff were kind and there were enough to meet their needs. Family members gave positive feedback of staff, who ensured people were involved and included service user’s care. This also included any appointments and health reviews. We were told, “They are very good at the Meath about not giving up on how we can improve someone’s life but equally recognise when it is not possible. I would recommend the Meath to anyone.” People were supported to access healthcare services and there was strong evidence to suggest there was consistent communication with medical specialists for their individual healthcare needs. We observed positive interactions between staff and people. This included communicating in people’s preferred communication style. Staff were respectful of people’s wishes and supported them to make independent choices. Professionals provided positive feedback of a person-centred approach from the provider and staff.