Golden Gorse is a residential care home for up to eight people. It specialises in the care of people who have a learning disability.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good:

People told us they felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them, one person said “Of course I feel safe here. It’s my home.” There were enough staff to meet people’s physical needs and support them with activities and trips out. People received their medicines safely.

People received effective care and support from staff who were well trained and competent. People were happy with the food served in the home and one person said “We always have nice food.” People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service was very caring and people had built strong relationships with each other and staff. There was a very happy atmosphere in the home and people told us staff were always kind. People’s privacy was respected.

The staff provided care and support which was responsive to people’s individual needs. People had the information they needed to assist them to make a complaint. One person told us “They would listen and help me.” People were assisted to take part in a variety of activities and trips out and showed us photographs of some of these.

The service was well led by a manager and provider who were open and approachable. People chatted happily with the manager and had lots of opportunities to share their views.

Golden Gorse is a residential care home for up to eight people. It specialises in the care of people who have a learning disability.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good:

People told us they felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them, one person said “Of course I feel safe here. It’s my home.” There were enough staff to meet people’s physical needs and support them with activities and trips out. People received their medicines safely.

People received effective care and support from staff who were well trained and competent. People were happy with the food served in the home and one person said “We always have nice food.” People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service was very caring and people had built strong relationships with each other and staff. There was a very happy atmosphere in the home and people told us staff were always kind. People’s privacy was respected.

The staff provided care and support which was responsive to people’s individual needs. People had the information they needed to assist them to make a complaint. One person told us “They would listen and help me.” People were assisted to take part in a variety of activities and trips out and showed us photographs of some of these.

The service was well led by a manager and provider who were open and approachable. People chatted happily with the manager and had lots of opportunities to share their views.

We carried out this inspection in response to information from a whistle-blower about the recruitment practices carried out by the provider and inappropriate staff employed at this service. We visited the service and observed how people were supported by staff and reviewed the recruitment and employment records for nine staff employed at the service. We spoke with two staff and the new manager.

We saw people had good relationships with staff and there was a friendly sociable atmosphere in the home. People told us about their holidays they had been on with staff or relatives and what they had been doing that day.

We found the provider operated an effective recruitment and employment process. This meant appropriate checks were carried out before staff were employed in the home and which met with current employment law. We saw information to show staff were suitably supervised and managed to work with the people living in the home.

This inspection was carried out to check compliance because of three areas identified as for improvement were found at the last inspection visit October 2012. These compliance actions were made in regard to the outcomes; the care and welfare of people who use the service, medicines and record keeping. We found during this inspection that these areas were compliant.

We met all of the five people living in the home, three staff on duty and a volunteer visiting the home to provide activities with people. We spoke with people and we observed how staff supported people. We looked at records relating to the provision of care and support for all five people and for the administration and management of the home.

The people we spoke with during the visit were very happy and were enjoying the activities and social life they had.

This inspection was carried out to check compliance because at our last inspection (January 2011) we identified two areas needing improvement. One improvement action was made then in regard to the care and welfare of people who use the service, the other was in regard to record keeping. On this inspection, we found non compliance in both areas. We also found that improvements were needed in the administration of medication to ensure safe outcomes for people living in the home.

We met all of the people living in the home and the three staff on duty. We spoke with those people who were able to verbally communicate and we observed how staff supported people. We looked at records relating to the provision of care and support for three people and for the administration and management of the home.

One person told us that staff supported them to be part of local community activities. We were told that people really liked living in the home and were able to do the things they wanted to. We saw that staff had a good knowledge of people's needs such as their daily routines, preferences for activities and the level of support they needed to be as independent as possible. The people we spoke with were happy with the staff and they were confident that they would be helped and supported by them. We saw that the home was maintained well and there was a programme of regular redecoration and refurbishment.

Golden Gorse is a small home for eight people with a learning disability. The atmosphere is welcoming and friendly. The people living in the home have been living together for a number of years. Some people said they felt safe in the home because they knew everyone and some said they felt safe because of the staff team. People said the staff team knew them well, were kind and caring and kept them safe.

People told us they are encouraged to express their views of the home through regular meetings and talking to staff. Examples of topics covered at meetings were meal planning, activities, concerns, holidays, staffing and accommodation.

People told us about the activities they enjoy within the community. Examples were, woodwork, dancing, story telling, drumming, skittles, gardening, church, pub outings, pampering, walks, “keeping in touch club”, drama and many more. People told us how they are involved in menu planning and how they all take turns at a choosing a meal each week. People said they do the shopping for their chosen meal and are supported to cook it. People told us that staff knew their likes and dislikes and always offered them an alternative if they didn’t like or want something. Some people are helped to make drinks; those unable to make drinks for themselves were offered them regularly.

Some of the people living in the home have limited verbal communication skills. Staff were observed communicating in ways that ensured each person could understand. It was clear that staff had an excellent knowledge of people’s communication needs by the way they interacted with people and the responses they received.

A relative told us that she was very happy with the care her sister received. We were told that her sister was very happy at the home and the staff were “excellent”. We were told that the home keeps her up to date with events going on in the home and any changes to her sister’s needs or care.

People said their Individual support and care is discussed with them. They are able to attend reviews of their care if they wish. They said if they do not attend staff always explain the outcome of the review. The manager told us they are in the process of changing people’s records to become more person centred care plans. Some people’s records were read. The records were found to contain basic information about someone’s needs and risks. However, some of the information did not provide enough detail for a new staff member to fully understand their needs and risks by just reading the documents. The home has a small staff team who work together regularly. A newly appointed member of staff said that the communication between staff was very good. A full handover of people is carried out every day. We were told that regular staff are able to explain people’s needs and risks to new staff. A new staff said that working alongside regular staff and observing practices helps them learn very quickly. It was clear from the visit that people’s needs and risks are fully understood by staff. Regular reviews take place with the funding authorities with clear records kept. However, the records require more detailed information to ensure that any new member of staff could understand a person’s needs and risks through reading people’s records. The records do not currently reflect people’s goals and if they are achieving them. This means that reviews are carried out by staffs’ knowledge alone and not by reviewing any records.

Some people showed us their bedrooms and said they were involved in its design and decorations. Bedrooms were seen to be comfortable, bright and personalised. The home is one storey building making all areas accessible to people with all levels of mobility. Some bedrooms have bath aids to help those with mobility problems getting in and out of the bath. The home has a large homely lounge and a kitchen with a dining area. People were observed accessing all areas freely and with the support of staff. Some people told us they enjoy using the courtyard garden area in the summer.

People told us that there was always enough staff available take them to their activities, including shopping, going out to lunch, going to the pub, visiting friends, as well as their normal activities at the “Sea Horse Centre”.

People told us staff always have time to help them with personal care needs and with tasks in the house where they need support.

Staff were observed spending time talking and listening to people tell them about their day. Staff spoken with felt the levels of staff were appropriate for the need and support required by the people in the home.

A relative said that the staff are always friendly and welcoming and seem to be able to give the time necessary to meet their relative’s needs.

The manager showed us a matrix she maintains to identify training needs and updates for mandatory training. Training included examples such as health and safety topics, fire safety, duty of care and National Vocational Training. We were told that additional training is provided when staff require a better understanding of people’s specific needs. An example of this was when the home required training from a speech and language therapist to help staff understand and meet the needs of someone in the home. The manager said the outcome was positive for the person and the staff.

Staff confirmed that they receive regular supervision and support from the manager. Staff also said that the provider was very supportive and was always available on the telephone for advice and guidance.

The provider visits the home regularly to carry out an audit on the quality of services. We were told that the provider is always available by telephone for advice and guidance to staff, relatives and the people living in the home.

The manager produces a monthly newsletter that details activities and relevant information for relatives and people living in the home.

The home has systems in place to regularly audit the health and safety of the home including environmental, equipment, fire safety, records, electrical, gas and water checks.

The home keeps records securely and confidentiality is maintained. People’s records are reviewed regularly and updated as soon as possible. Records, including people’s records are kept in a secure cupboards and filing cabinets in the office. The manager told us this is locked at night. The manager said that she takes the keys home each night. This means that people’s records and policies are not available to night staff. The manager said herself or the senior member of staff are on call at night so would come in should records be required. However, it was agreed that there needs to be a system that makes records available to night staff that maintains security and confidentiality.

People’s finances are managed by the manager with and on people’s behalf. The financial records were found to be well maintained, accurate with receipts for spending. However where financial records are kept means that other records necessary for staff are not always available to them. The manager said she would now store financial records separately from other records. The handover system in the home does not include the checking of people’s finances held on their behalf. This leaves staff that check finances vulnerable and the current system does not fully protect people from the risk of financial abuse.