About the service

Howbeck Close is a 14 bedded care home for people with learning disabilities and complex needs. It consists of two bungalows within their own grounds. It is in the village of Edlington, Doncaster. At the time of our inspection there were 10 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service

People who used the service were safeguarded from the risks of abuse and staff knew what action to take if they suspected abuse. Risks associated with people’s care were identified and staff were aware of risks and knew how to manage them to keep people safe. Staff were available to support people in a timely and person-centred manner. Safe arrangements were in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff received training and support to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to carry out their role effectively. Staff received support both individually and within team meetings. People had access to healthcare professionals as required. 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.

We observed staff interacting with people who used the service and found they were patient, kind, caring and supported people in line with their preferences.

People received personalised care which met their needs and took in to consideration and preferences. People were supported to maintain links with the community and took part in social activities of their choice.

Audits took place to ensure the service was providing support in line with the providers policies and procedures.

Rating at last inspection

Good (Report published 27 July 2016)

Why we inspected

This was a planned comprehensive inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

The inspection took place on 9 June 2016 and was unannounced. The home was previously inspected in October 2013 and the service was meeting the regulations we looked at.

Howbeck Close is a 14 bedded care home providing care and support for people with a learning disability and complex needs. It consists of two bungalows within their own grounds. It is in the village of Edlington near Doncaster.

The service had a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

We spoke with support workers who knew how to protect people from abuse. Staff told us they had received training in this subject, which had given them information on the types of abuse and how to recognise and report situation.

We looked at records and found medicines were managed in a safe and appropriate manner. Medicines were stored correctly and administered to people in line with their individual care plans.

We looked at records belonging to people who used the service and found that risks associated with their care had been identified.

We saw that there was enough staff around to ensure people’s needs were met. Staff worked well as a team and were able to respond to people’s needs.

The provider had a safe recruitment system in place to help them employ new staff. This included pre-employment checks being carried out prior to the new member of staff commenced their employment at the service.

We looked at records in relation to staff training and found staff attended sessions to support their learning and refresh current skills. Staff we spoke with felt supported by their managers and received regular supervision sessions.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amount to ensure they received a healthy balanced diet. People were assisted with an appropriate diet to suit their needs. Snacks and drinks were also available throughout the day.

We found the service was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Assessments of mental capacity were completed in relation to people’s care and support. These included personal care, health care, community contacts and social life.

People had access to health care professionals when required. We looked at records belonging to people who used the service and found evidence that professionals such as speech and language therapist, physiotherapist and dietician had been involved.

Throughout our inspection we observed staff interacting with people who used the service. We found staff were kind, caring and considerate. They worked hard to ensure people’s likes and dislikes were respected.

People’s needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered appropriately. We looked at support plans belonging to people and found they accurately reflected people’s needs.

A range of social activities and stimulation was provided for people and we saw people lived full and active lives.

The service had a complaints procedure. The registered manager told us they had not received any complaints but operated an open door policy. This meant people and their relatives could approach staff to discuss issues as they arose.

There was evidence of good leadership at all levels. Staff knew their roles and responsibilities well and looked to senior staff for advice and guidance when required.

We saw audits were completed to ensure the quality of the service was good. Audits had action plans to ensure any issues were identified and resolved.

There was evidence that people who used the service had a voice and were given the opportunity to contribute ideas to the service.

During the SOFI we saw how staff members interacted with people who used the service. The staff appeared to know the people they were working with really well and were respectful of their wishes and feelings.

We found that where people did not have the capacity to consent, the provider acted in accordance with legal requirements.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights.

People were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition and dehydration.

People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines.

There was an effective complaints system available.

There were only a small number of people who use the service present on the day of the inspection, and those who were present were not able to communicate verbally with us. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. Using this we saw that people experienced care which was tailored to their needs, and delivered at a pace they appeared to be comfortable with. From our observations we saw that staff treated people with respect and spoke to them with kindness and warmth. We saw the environment of the home had been customized to meet the needs of people with communication difficulties, so that people experienced surroundings which were stimulating and supported their needs.