Mulberry House

Ratings

• Overall

  Requires improvement

• Safe

  Inadequate

• Effective

  Requires improvement

• Caring

  Requires improvement

• Responsive

  Requires improvement

• Well-led

  Requires improvement

Our view of the service

Date of assessment 19 November 2024 to 05 December 2024. Mulberry House is a care home. This is a specialist respite service that is used by autistic people or people with a learning disability. This service can support up to 5 people at a time. 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 local communities that most people take for granted. We found 4 breaches of the legal regulations concerning safeguarding, safe care and treatment, staffing and governance. Safeguarding concerns had not always been identified or reported. Risks to people's health and safety were not always well assessed and managed. Accident and incident reports had not always been completed to inform learning and reduce risks. Medicines were not always managed safely. Staff were not always well supported. The environment and infection control practices were not always safe. However, staff understood the risks people could experience. Staff were recruited safely. People were able to access the community and pursue their interests. Staff promoted people's privacy and dignity. Staff felt able to raise concerns with leaders. A staff member said, "Management are supportive to staff, we can go to them and share any ideas, and they are helpful. Any problems I am happy to go to them." In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/ or appeals have been concluded.

People's experience of this service

Not all people could speak with us; where this was the case, we gathered people's experiences by observation, speaking to relatives, reviewing their care records and speaking with staff. Risks to people were not always fully assessed and met. Environmental safety had not always been well managed to promote people's safety. However, people had support to be part of their community, and their independence was promoted. People's cultural and religious needs were met. For example, people were supported to have foods that met their religious requirements. Regular keyworker sessions were held to gather people's feedback in areas such as how they would like to spend their time, this promoted people being able to take part in activities they enjoyed such as visiting the farm and bowling. Relatives told us people were treated kindly, and they had been involved in care planning. A relative told us, “They provide a safe, calm and supportive environment where my [relative] is able to continue to develop [their] independent living skills, access new activities and opportunities, socialise with peers and just be [themselves].”