About the service: Queens Park Care Home provides care and support for up to 16 adults with a learning disability, some of whom have additional needs relating to mental health and/or physical disability. At the time of our inspection there were 16 people using the service.

Queens Park worked within the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensured that people could live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were safe at the home. A relative said, “[Family member’s] always happy every time we talk and never says anything that worries us.” People were supported to reduce risk to themselves. For example, people had emergency call bells in their room to summon assistance. A person said, “The staff do hourly checks at night to see if you’re breathing, or if you’ve left your telly, or are asleep wearing your glasses.” The home was well-staffed and all areas were clean and tidy. People had their medicines safely and, where possible, took some responsibility for them.

The staff were well-trained and knowledgeable and had a good understanding of the people they supported. A person said, “The staff know what I like and what I don’t like.” People were supported to prepare their own meals where possible. A person told us they made their own breakfast and were learning how to make poached eggs with their keyworker. People’s medical needs were met by a range of healthcare professionals who visited the home. People’s rooms were personalised and they chose what was in them and people had access to a safe garden area and a sensory room.

The staff were caring and kind. A relative said, “The staff are wonderful. I’ve faith in the staff - they’ve become dear friends.” Staff had a good rapport with people and knew how best to communicate with them. For example, they understood people’s non-verbal ways of expressing themselves. People made decisions about their own routines and were encouraged to make independent choices about all aspects of their lives.

Staff provided people with personalised care and supported them in the way they wanted. For example, a relative told us staff knew what to do if their family member had a low mood. They said, “They see them through it absolutely. If [family member] is tearful they take them to one side. They are brilliant.” People were encouraged to have goals which staff supported them to achieve, for example going for walks independently, making meals, or going on a day trip. People took part in a range of mainly one-to-one activities and staff supported them to follow their own hobbies and interests.

The service was well-managed and people and relatives were satisfied with the care provided. A relative told us, “[Family member] absolutely loves it here. I couldn’t rate it highly enough. The staff always go the extra mile.” People, relatives and staff said the managers were friendly, approachable, and supportive. A person told us the names of all the managers at the home and said, “I like them because they do a good job.” The provider and registered manager carried out audits to ensure the home was operating effectively and safely and acted if improvements were needed. People, relatives and staff were asked for their views on the home and consulted on how it was run.

For further information please see the full report.

Rating at last inspection: At our last inspection (report published on 09 April 2016) the service was rated as Good.

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the service’s previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor this service.

This inspection took place on 16 February 2016 and was unannounced.

Queens Park Care Home is registered to provide residential care and support for sixteen people with a learning disability, mental health needs, physical disability and degenerative health conditions which include Huntington’s Disease and Muscular Dystrophy.

The service is purpose built and provides accommodation over two floors. The ground floor comprises of a dining room, activities room, lounge and sensory room. Bedrooms, which have en-suite facilities, are located on the ground and first floor and are accessible via a stairwell or passenger lift. Bathing facilities also provide sensory stimulation to people using the service along with equipment to support those with a physical disability.

Queens Park Care Home had a registered manager in post. 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.

Health and social care professionals we contacted as part of the inspection were positive about the service provided, they felt staff had the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs in an individualised and personalised way. They found staff to be committed to providing a good service, and that there was good communication across all staff and that the service was managed well.

Staff told us that training had helped them to understand the needs of people, which included people’s right to make decisions about their day to day lives. Staff were confident that if they had any concerns about people’s safety, health or welfare then they would know what action to take, which would include reporting their concerns to the registered manager or member of the management team along and to external agencies.

People were supported by knowledgeable staff that had a good understanding as to people’s needs. Staff provided tailored and individual support to keep people safe and to meet a range of complex needs related to people’s health, which required staff to use specialist equipment and monitor it for its effectiveness. Staff provided tailored support where people’s behaviour became challenging, to ensure that people could be confident that they would be supported and safe when accessing the wider community.

We found people received their medicine in a timely and safe manner by staff that had been trained in the administration of medicine, which included where people’s medicine was administered by the use of equipment.

Our discussions with staff told us that they received ongoing support and development through supervision, appraisal and the accessing of training. The training staff accessed reflected the needs of people who used the service which meant people received effective care and support. Records confirmed staff had received training in a wide range of topics. This meant people at Queen’s Park Care Home were supported and cared for by knowledgeable staff, which ensured their safety and promoted their health and welfare.

People were protected under the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (MCA DoLS) we found that appropriate referrals had been made to supervisory bodies where people were thought to not have capacity to make decisions. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about their role in supporting people to maintain control and make decisions which affected their day to day lives and told us how this was a key part of their role.

People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink and had their dietary needs met, which included where specialist equipment was required. People were supported to access a range of health care appointments by staff to ensure their health was monitored and maintained. Staff were proactive in responding to

We spoke with someone who uses the service and asked them whether they were involved in the decisions about their daily life. The person’s keyworker who understood the person’s communication needs helped us speak with them. The person told us: “I love it here” and that they were “very happy and content.” They told us that they are able to make plans and decisions about their daily lives.

People we spoke with told us that they visited friends and relatives whilst others told us that relatives’ visited them at the service. People told us about their visits to local shops and supermarkets, swimming activities and day trips. During our inspection we saw people take part in activities within the service, which included people listening to music, painting, completing jigsaws and spending time in the garden.

We spoke with a visiting community support worker who had assessed and placed people at Queen’s Park Care Home. We asked them for their views about the service provided to people. They told us that in their opinion the service goes out of its way to support people and that the services approach is one where they do not say that they can’t manage people’s needs but focuses on ways that they can support and help people. They went onto say that the registered manager and other staff are approachable and amenable and are knowledgeable about the people they support and care for.

People are involved in decisions about their daily lives, which includes what time they get up and go to bed, the activities they take part in as well as decisions about their future. People who are not able to make decisions for themselves are supported by the use of the service following legislation which protects peoples’ rights and by liaising with people’s relatives and other health and social care professionals.

People are provided with nutritious meals which are made using fresh ingredients. People who require specialist diets and feeding systems receive the care and support they require by staff who are aware of people’s individual needs and who receive the necessary training to support people well.

People live in an environment which is well maintained and have a bedroom which is decorated and styled to meet their needs and choices. Two people told us they had chosen the décor and style of their bedroom. People who require the use of a wheelchair are able to access all areas of the service which includes access to the activities room, sensory room and garden.

People’s records as well as records for the smooth and efficient running of the service are well maintained.

We spoke with three people who live at Queens Park Care Home they spoke to us about their experiences of living at the home and the activities they took part in. One person told us: - “I go to Church every Sunday with my boyfriend and I go to the Half Time Orange Club every week and the disco at Liquid Envy.” A second person told us that they and someone else living at the home hoped to undertake voluntary work at an animal rescue centre. Another person told us they worked part time at a local shop and that to help them keep fit they had an exercise bike in their bedroom which they used.

People’s needs and the support they required were comprehensively recorded within their support plans. Records showed people accessed a range of health care professionals who work with the staff of the home to monitor and promote people’s health. Monitoring of people’s health included having their medication regularly reviewed and by staff ensuring people received their medication in a timely manner. Records showed staff had received training which enabled them to meet the needs of people using the service.

Information about how to make a complaint, fire evacuation procedures, minutes of meetings and personal information about themselves was available to people living at the home in easy read formats using large print, photographs and symbols to assist people in their understanding.

People who live at Queens Park Care Home receive care and support which is tailored to their individual needs, which includes support with their physical and mental health, social and recreational needs along with their religious and diverse needs. People in residence have access to a range of health care professionals and who work closely with staff at the home.

People live an environment which is able to meet people’s needs for individual and group activities, which includes a sensory room and sensory bathroom, activities room and communal lounges and dining space.

People are supported to make decisions about their care and support which is recorded within their care plan and where necessary involves outside agencies to ensure that people’s best interests are being met.

People are supported by staff that have had access to extensive training which has enabled them to meet the individual needs of people, promoting their well being and choices.