What life is like for people using this service:

The service was previously rated as ‘Good’. This inspection found that the service retained its rating of ‘Good’ in all areas. This means that people using the service received an effective service which was responsive to any changing needs. We found the service was managed safely and people were treated with care and respect. The good quality of care had positive outcomes for people using the service. More information is the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

Good (report published 28 January 2016)

About the service:

Rowan- Innova House ltd has been registered since January 2011. The service provides accommodation, personal care and support for up to five people in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The service is focused on supporting people with a diagnosis of a learning disability. The premises comprise of three separate bungalows and separate outbuilding for staff. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

Why we inspected:

We previously published our inspection in January 2016. It is CQC methodology to re-inspect ‘Good’ providers within a 30 month timescale. This inspection was completed as planned.

Follow up:

No concerns were raised within this inspection. We will therefore aim to re-inspect this service within 30 months. We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.

This inspection took place on 8 October 2015 and was unannounced.

Innova House Health Care Limited is registered to provide accommodation and care at Rowan – Innova House CLD for to up to 6 adults with learning disabilities. Accommodation is arranged in three bungalows. There were 5 people living there when we visited.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection, but she was not present at the time of the 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were safe and staff followed procedures to keep people safe. The provider used safe systems when new staff were recruited and risks to personal safety were minimised. Also, medicines were managed so that people received them safely as prescribed.

There were sufficient staff where they were needed to meet people’s needs safely. Training was arranged for all staff and seen as essential so that they knew how to meet people’s needs fully. Important changes in people’s needs were passed on to all staff when they started their shifts, so that they were all aware of the up to date information about any incidents that affected people’s needs.

Staff were kind to people and cared about them. Choices were given to people at all times. People had appropriate food and drink and staff supported them individually to keep health appointments so that their health needs were met. We found people’s privacy and dignity were respected and all confidential information was respectfully held securely.

Staff assisted people to take part in appropriate daily individual activities at home and in the community. Responses were always given to any complaints or specific requests made.

Regular checks were made on the quality of the service, and the provider monitored all areas of the service though the management systems and reports presented in regular meetings.

We reviewed two care and support files for people who used the service which included detailed guidance of the person's individual needs.

People who used the service were able to personalise their rooms and records reviewed confirmed that appropriate checks were completed to ensure the environment was safe.

We reviewed three personnel files and noted that not all recruitment checks were completed, particularly to ensure staff were fit and health to carry out their role.

When we visited on 22 August 2012 we found that the provider was not meeting one or more essential standards and action is needed. We visited again to ensure action had been taken.

Since our previous visit, the assistant manager had made all care plans available to staff. We spoke to one person who was well aware of the information in the care plan and was satisfied that the support staff gave was appropriate to meet their needs.

We found that storage arrangements had been changed and improved so that all medication was held securely and people received their medicines safely.

Improvements had been made in supporting staff who we found had individual meetings with senior staff every six to eight weeks and regular staff meetings had taken place.

We saw that monthly audit reports had recommenced and they covered all areas of the service. This meant that the quality of the service was being monitored by the provider.

We saw all four of the current people using the service and spoke in more detail with two of them and one relative. One person felt that some staff were very supportive, but "It depends what staff are on duty". Another person told us that there was an agreement about times for support and this was respected. A relative told us that they always felt welcome to visit the service and staff spoke respectfully with them.

We observed staff giving constant attention to one person, frequently engaging with respect in conversation. Another person told us that staff had helped to arrange a routine of exercise and accompanied him to access the community. Two people told us that no one had involved them in preparing any care and support plan since they had lived there.

People told us that they felt physically safe and protected at the service. Two people told us they would report any concerns to the person in charge and one person said he would write down any concerns to make sure the manager knew about them.

Two people told us that they always received their medication at the right times, but we had concerns about the storage and records of medicines.

People told us that staff seemed to be competent and staff told us about their training, but we found there were gaps in the support staff received.

We spent time in the company of people whose memory and ability to communicate had been affected by their health condition. We observed their experience of care; assessed the quality of support they received and looked at their care records.