The inspection took place on 31 January and 1 February 2017 and was unannounced on the first day. The care home was inspected in June 2015 and was in breach of one regulation and was rated overall requires improvement.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Ammersall Court’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk’

Ammersall Court is a care home situated in Scawthorpe, Doncaster which is registered to accommodate up to 18 people. The service is provided by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and provides care for people with physical and/or learning disabilities. The home was split into four bungalows each with their own front doors. People who used the service could move freely between the bungalows to meet and socialise with friends and neighbours.

The service had a registered manager. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Infection control procedures had improved since our last inspection of the service. South Yorkshire Housing who were the owners of the building had refurbished the kitchenettes and utility rooms which had made significant improvements to the areas.

Potential risks to people's health, safety and welfare had been reduced because there were risk assessments in place that gave guidance to staff on how to support people safely. There were systems in place to safeguard people from avoidable harm and staff had been trained in safeguarding procedures.

The provider had effective recruitment processes in place and there was sufficient staff to support people safely. People's medicines were managed safely.

Staff had regular supervision and they had been trained to meet people's individual needs. They understood their roles and responsibilities to seek people's consent prior to care and support being provided.

People were supported by staff who were kind, caring, friendly and respectful. They were supported to make choices about how they lived their lives and how they wanted to be supported. People had enough to eat and drink to maintain their health and wellbeing. They were supported to access other health services when required.

People had access to a wide range of activities that were provided both in-house and in the community. One person told us they liked going to the Crucible theatre, another liked to watch Doncaster Rovers while others liked to attend adult social centres during the week.

The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were in place to protect people who may not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) sets out what must be done to make sure that the human rights of people who may lack mental capacity to make decisions are protected, including balancing autonomy and protection in relation to consent or refusal of care or treatment.

The provider had a formal process for handling complaints and concerns. They encouraged feedback from people who used the service, their relatives, external professionals and staff, and they acted on the comments received to continually improve the quality of the service.

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. We saw copies of reports produced by a representative of the organisation. The reports included any actions required and these were checked each month to determine progress.

People who used the service told us they were treated with dignity and their independence was respected. They told us that care workers asked them what help they required and involved them in their care.

People told us they were happy with the care they received. We reviewed care records which showed that risk assessments and formal reviews were undertaken to ensure care was effective and safe.

People who used the service told us they felt safe at the home. Care workers had undertaken training in safeguarding and were aware of their responsibility to report any abuse.

People told us they thought care workers were well trained and knew what they were doing. Care workers told us they had regular training, supervision and appraisal. We also reviewed training records which showed that staff had regular training in all appropriate areas.

People were asked for their opinion as to the quality of care in the home. We saw that regular meetings were held with people who used the service and staff. There were also systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service people received, and to manage any risks to people's health.

People were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment. People’s care plans and risk assessments were accurate and contained all appropriate information.

People told us they liked living at Ammersal Court, the staff were very good and they were able to access the local community when they wished.

The general view of the people living at the home was that it was a modern building and it was a homely place to live in. The home was made up of four self contained bungalows. People living in the bungalows said the care workers were reliable and helpful. They also told us that they had known the care workers for a long time and they were like part of their family.

The people living in the bungalows and the visitors told us that in the last six months there had been several changes to the management structure and it had been “hectic and uncertain” for everybody. But recently a new manager had been appointed and they were looking forward to some stability.

One relative made a suggestion to the manager about exploring the possibility of a large room or a conservatory at the site to have parties and meetings. They said at present they used public houses or function halls nearby and would welcome their own hall for gatherings.

The inspection took place on 18 and 19 June 2015 and was unannounced. At the last inspection in January 2014 the service was judged compliant with the regulations inspected.

Ammersall Court is a care home situated in Scawthorpe, Doncaster which is registered to take 18 people. The service is provided by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and provides care for people with physical and/or learning disabilities. The home was split into four bungalows each with their own front doors. People who used the service could move freely between the bungalows to meet and socialise with friends and neighbours.

The service has a registered manager, who has been in post for 12 months. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe while staying at the home. One person said, “I have lived here for a long time, staff help us to keep safe.” Staff had a clear understanding of potential abuse which helped them recognise abuse and how they would deal with situations if they arose.

There were enough skilled and experienced staff and there was a programme of training, supervision and appraisal to support staff to meet people’s needs. Procedures in relation to

recruitment and retention of staff were robust and ensured only suitable people were employed in the service.

The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were in place to protect people who may not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) sets out what must be done to make sure that the human rights of people who may lack mental capacity to make decisions are protected, including balancing autonomy and protection in relation to consent or refusal of care or treatment.

People were encouraged to make decisions about meals, and were supported to go shopping and be involved in menu planning. We saw people were involved and consulted about all aspects of their care and support, where they were able.

People had access to a wide range of activities that were provided both in-house and in the community. One person told us they liked going to the theatre while others liked to attend adult social centres during the week.

En-suite facilities in some bedrooms required improvements to ensure they were clean and hygienic. Kitchen facilities required improvements as they were not hygienic and fit for purpose. These improvements had been identified by the provider and had been discussed with the owners of the building which is South Yorkshire Housing Association. Plans were in place to address the shortfalls.

We observed good interactions between staff and people who used the service. People were happy to discuss the day’s events and one person told us that they had been into Doncaster to meet friends.

People told us they were aware of the complaints procedure and said staff would assist them if they needed to use it.

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. We saw copies of reports produced by a representative of the organisation. The reports included any actions required and these were checked each month to determine progress.