About the service

Radnor House provides accommodation and care for up to 29 people who have mental health needs. On the day of our inspection visit there were 27 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service

¿ People said Radnor House was a safe place to live because the staff were kind and reassuring and the building secure. Staff knew how to keep people safe and who to report any concerns to. The home was well-staffed to ensure people’s needs were met.

¿ People and staff got on well with each other and the home had a happy, family atmosphere. People told us staff were caring, kind, and always willing to listen. Both they and the staff felt valued by the registered manager who people said was approachable, listened to them, and made changes to the home where necessary.

¿ The home was multicultural, reflecting the local area, with a multicultural staff team. Staff ensured people language, dietary, and religious needs were met and supported them with their chosen lifestyles and preferences. Staff were well-trained and knowledgeable about people’s mental health and other needs.

¿ The cook provided meals to meet people’s cultural needs and preferences including English, Caribbean, Asian, halal, and vegetarian. People told us they enjoyed the food served and commented on how much variation and choice there was.

¿ People had personalised care plans telling staff how they wanted their needs met. People’ medical needs were addressed by a range of community health care professionals and staff accompanied them to healthcare appointments if they wanted someone with them. Staff sought people’s consent before providing them with care support.

¿ People had access to a range of individual and group activities and used local community facilities. The premises were clean, comfortable and spacious with a large garden, four lounges. and a dining room. People said they felt safe spending time there, and they also enjoyed going out on their own or with staff.

¿ The home’s quality assurance system helped to ensure the registered manager and staff continued to provide high-quality care. Action plans showed their commitment to continual improvement at the home based on the needs and wishes of the people using the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection we rated this service Good (report published on 3 April 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

Our inspection was unannounced and took place on 23 March 2016. At our last inspection on the 14 January 2014 the service was meeting all of the regulations that we assessed.

Radnor House is a care home which is registered to provide care for up to 29 people. The home specialises in the care of people who have mental ill health needs. At the time of our inspection there were 28 people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in post and they were present during 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.

There were systems in place to ensure that the service was assessed and the quality of care provided to people was monitored. However, these had not always been effective at identifying where some improvements were needed.

People felt safe using the service and they were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had systems in place to minimise the risk of abuse.

People were supported by staff that were kind, caring and respectful and knew them well. People were treated with dignity and respect. Staff understood people’s needs well. Staff received the training and support they needed to carry out their role.

Staff had a good understanding of the risks associated with people’s care needs and knew how to support them. There were enough staff to support people safely. Recruitment procedures ensured that only staff that were of a suitable character to care for people were employed.

Medicines were stored and administered safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed. People were supported to have their healthcare needs met.

People were supported to make everyday decisions themselves, which helped them to maintain their independence.

People were supported to eat and drink food that met their dietary requirements and that they enjoyed eating.

There were 29 people living there on the day of our inspection. We spoke with ten people who lived there, four members of staff, the registered manager and a visiting health professional.

Staff had the information they needed to know how to support people to meet their individual needs. One person told us, “You won’t find a better place to live than here.”

People told us that they felt safe living there. One person told us, “This is the first place I have lived where I feel safe, there is no violence here.”

People told us and records we sampled showed that people had their medicines as prescribed by their doctor to ensure their health and wellbeing.

We saw that people lived in an environment that was safe and adequately maintained.

There were sufficient staff who had the appropriate skills and knowledge to ensure that people’s needs were met.

People and their relatives were asked for their views about the service provided and we saw that these were listened to.

Our inspection was unannounced, which meant that no one knew that we would be visiting. There were 27 people living at the home on the day of our inspection. We spoke with 11 people living there, the manager and seven members of staff to find out their views about the service provided.

The people living there could make choices about their lives. One person said, “We have a choice of food. I can have a lie in if I want to and go to bed when I want to. I get my money when I want it and can spend it on what I like.”

We saw that people were encouraged to do things for themselves so promoting their independence skills and self esteem.

Each person had a care plan so that staff knew how to support them in the way they wanted and to meet their needs

We saw that people were supported to have regular health checks of their physical and mental health to ensure their well being. One person told us, “I see the doctor when I need to and have any health checks I need.”

Systems were in place to ensure that people were safeguarded from harm. We saw that people were comfortable in the company of staff.

Staff received the training they needed so they knew how to support the people living there to meet their needs. Staff told us they were well supported in their role.

People were asked for their views about the home and these were listened to. The home and equipment in the home was well maintained so it was safe for people to live in.