Serenity House

Product Information

People had good health care support from professionals. The provider and staff worked in partnership with health and care professionals. The service also provides personal care to 50 people living in their own homes in Gainsborough and in Grantham.

Integrative Therapies include soothing practices such as guided imagery, gentle reflexology, mindfulness practice, reiki and aromatherapy. These therapies increase comfort and provide a sense of well-being. People who used the service told us that staff respected their choices and that they were supported and enabled to do things independently. They confirmed that they were getting the support they needed and told us how they took part in the ongoing assessment and review of their needs and goals. They said they were involved in the recruitment and selection of staff and that staff had the right skills to support them. They told us about how they were encouraged to take part in the daily running of the service. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner. Staff were aware of people's life history and preferences and they used this information to develop positive relationships and deliver person centred care. People felt well cared for by staff who treated them with respect and dignity. We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvement. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report. The service had been developed 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 a learning disability were supported to live as ordinary a life as any citizen. Serenity House is located in Gainsborough and is both a residential care home and a domiciliary care agency which provides care to people in their own homes. The residential home provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people. The domiciliary care agency provides personal care for up to 60 people who live in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. Prior to this visit we made a telephone call to inform the provider that we would be inspecting the service the next day. The reason we announced our visit is because people who use the service lead active lives and we wanted to make sure we would be able to meet one or both of them. During this visit we spoke with one of the two people using the service, the provider and a member of staff.

There was 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. People told us they felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staff we spoke with had good knowledge of their responsibilities in relation to protecting people from abuse. Information in people’s care plans gave staff the guidance to provide effective support. People’s medicines were managed safely, and staff showed a good understanding of how to reduce the risk of infection for the people they cared for. We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively. We observed that staff communicated well with the people who used the service and promoted an inclusive, supportive environment.

People and staff felt the care provided was person centred and the communications between the management team and people, staff and relatives were good. Staff enjoyed their jobs and were happy in their roles. Regular audits were not carried out. Audits were not in place for areas such as falls and infection control however the registered manager told us that they were in the process of developing these.