Archived: 229 Mitcham Lane

Updated 7 October 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 26 August 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by an inspector.

Before we visited the service we checked the information that we held about it, including notifications sent to us informing us of significant events that occurred at the service. The provider also submitted 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 improvements they plan to make.

We contacted health and social care professionals to ask their views about the service prior to the inspection. We spoke with one person using the service during our inspection, the others were out or were not willing to speak with us. We spoke with one staff member and the owner. We also observed interaction between staff and people using the service. We looked at three care records, four staff files and other records related to the management of the service including training records, audits and complaints.

Updated 7 October 2015

This inspection took place on 26 August 2015 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the service since its new registration with the CQC.

229 Mitcham Lane is a small care home providing accommodation for four African/Caribbean men with long term mental health problems. It is located in Streatham, South-West London. It is close to local amenities and has good transport links. It is one of four homes run by the provider.

There was a registered manager at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People using the service live in a single bedroom and share lounge, kitchen and bathroom facilities.

People using the service told us they liked living at the home and were not restricted from leaving the service. They told us they were able to approach staff, including the registered manager if they had any problems. Although there were no structured activities in place, people said they were free to do the things they liked. They told us they helped staff to prepare meals and received their medicines on time. Regular resident meetings were held which were often chaired by people. People’s concerns and complaints were explored during one to one sessions and during resident meetings. The provider followed up on issues to ensure they were resolved to people/s satisfaction.

Staff told us they worked well together as a team and the registered manager was supportive. They received regular training and supervision. They demonstrated a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. They were familiar with people’s needs.

Care records, including risk assessments and support plans were reviewed regularly which helped to ensure they contained accurate information. Support plans were discussed with people using the service and their input was considered during reviews.

Regular audits took place of medicines, financial records and the environment. The director carried out regular visits to the service which helped to ensure there was good oversight of the service and to ensure that improvements were made where required.