Archived: 58 Whichers Gate

Updated 13 May 2016

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

The inspection took place on 6 April 2016 and was unannounced. One inspector undertook the inspection.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we had about the service, including previous inspection reports, improvement plans and notifications the provider sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. The registered provider gave us additional information on the day of the inspection.

We spoke with and observed care and support given to all of the people who lived at the home. We spoke with the interim manager and the area manager. There were five support staff employed to work at the home, of whom we spoke with two.

We looked at the care plans and associated records for two people. We reviewed other records, including the provider’s policies and procedures, emergency plans, audits, staff training, staff appraisal and supervision records, and recruitment records for two members of staff.

Updated 13 May 2016

This inspection took place on 6 April 2016 and was unannounced. 58 Whichers Gate provides care and accommodation for up to three people. At the time of the inspection there were three people living at the home. The home specialises in the care of people living with learning disabilities.

There was a registered manager in place. 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. However, the registered manager was not available at the time of the inspection. Livability has employed an interim manager who has been in place since 22 February 2016.

At the last inspection on 25 September 2013 the service was not meeting all the requirements of the regulations that were inspected at that time. The areas where actions were required were: the safety and maintenance of the property and the lack of an effective system to monitor the service. At this inspection we found that action had been taken and the previous requirements had been met.

People who lived at the home told us they felt safe and secure with staff to support them. People told us staff supported them to manage their finances. We looked at two people’s care records and saw that they detailed their preferences, interests, likes and dislikes.

We observed positive staff interaction with people during our inspection visit. We found staffing levels and the skill mix of staff were sufficient to meet the needs of people and keep them safe.

Pre-employment checks that were required had been completed prior to staff commencing work.

People received their medicines in a safe manner. We found staff responsible for administering medicines had received formal medicine training to ensure they were confident and competent to give medicines to people. However, there were inadequate arrangements for the storage of the medicines. The interim manager had found errors in the records for medicines and was taking action regarding staff training and awareness.

People were asked for their consent before support was provided. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had the knowledge, skills and experience to carry out their role. People told us that there were always staff available to help them when needed.

People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health. A varied and nutritious diet was provided to people. This took into account their dietary needs and preferences, so that their health was promoted and choices respected.

People told us they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and felt confident they would be listened to.

People participated in a range of daily activities both in and outside of the home which were meaningful and promoted their independence.

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.