Updated 30 May 2024
8 Acres is a care home for people with a learning disability or autistic people and consists of 2 main units, The Barns and The House, as well as some single occupancy units.
We carried out this assessment in part due to concerns received about the service, which was fully occupied, providing care to 18 people. We completed assessment site visits on the 10 June 2024 and an out of hours visit on the 19 June 2024.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ (RSRCRC) is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. This guidance was reviewed as part of this assessment, and we found the provider was failing to meet the principles of it.
People were not supported to live meaningful lives. Risks to people were not well managed. Systems were not followed to ensure people were protected from harm and abuse. There were not always sufficient levels of suitably trained and competent staff for provision of safe care. Care did not empower people to have choice and control. We identified significant failings in the level of management and provider oversight to identify and address complaints, shortfalls in care, and to implement improvements. The provider did not focus on people’s quality of life and care delivery was not always person-centred. The provider and registered manager did not recognise how to promote people’s rights, choices and independence.
Overall, we identified 6 breaches of the regulations, relating to safe care and treatment, person-centred care, safeguarding people from abuse and improper treatment, the need for consent, staffing and good governance.