We inspected this service in January 2016 and rated the home as Good overall. When we inspected the service on 14 March 2018 we rated the home as Requires Improvement overall. This is the first time Pemdale has been rated as Requires Improvement. This inspection was announced the day before we visited. This was to ensure a member of staff would be present to let us into the home.

Pemdale is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Pemdale provides personal care and accommodation for people who have a range of learning disabilities and physical disabilities. Pemdale can provide care for up to 6 adults. At the time of the inspection 5 people were living at the home. Pemdale comprises of accommodation over one floor.

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.” Registering the Right Support CQC policy

There was a registered manager in place. 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 found some issues with the upkeep and maintenance of the home. The landlord was not maintaining the home to a reasonable standard. The landlord was separate from the provider. But the provider was responsible under their registration to provide accommodation to people living at Pemdale. We found walls were chipped and marked; bathroom furniture was chipped and rusty in places. This had the potential to trap dirt which could increase the spread of infection.

The service was not testing for the virus Legionella and there was a build of lime scale in parts of the home which could support the growth of this virus. This had the potential to make people unwell.

The home looked tired and uncared for. The land lord had not invested in the up keep of the building. The provider had not resolved this investment issue. This was a historical matter and had not been resolved for some time. The provider had not taken any timely action to resolve this issue and improve the day-to-day quality of lives of the people at the home. As a result of this the registered manager had to rely on charity funding to repaint people’s bedrooms and the communal parts of the home. This lack of investment connects with how the provider values the people living at Pemdale and how they promoted people’s rights.

People were also not given the opportunities to go on trips, attend events or go on holiday.

Staff training had been cancelled by the provider and some staff’s training was out of date. Staff competency checks were not robust and did not evidence how a member of staff was competent in their work. We identified some shortfalls in staff practice and knowledge which had not been identified before. There were no on going staff checks to ensure staff were competent in their work and that they had the knowledge to do their job well. There was no system to check the training had been effective.

There was a lack of robust quality monitoring checks. The quality monitoring checks completed by the provider had not identified the issues which we found during this inspection.

The registered manager was not fully aware of all the important events that they must notify us about by law. A person had sustained a serious injury and we had not been informed about it.

These issues constituted a br

This inspection took place on 01 September 2015 and was unannounced. When we last inspected the home in December 2013 we found that the provider was meeting their legal requirements in the areas that we looked at.

Pemdale provides accommodation and support for up to six people who have a learning disability or physical disability. At the time of this inspection there were six people living at the home.

The home has a registered manager. 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.

People were safe and the provider had effective systems in place to safeguard people. Their medicines were administered safely and they were supported to access other healthcare professionals to maintain their health and well-being. They were given a choice of nutritious food and drink throughout the day and were supported to maintain their interests and hobbies. They were aware of the provider’s complaints system and information about this was available in an easy read format. They were encouraged to contribute to the development of the service. People had access to an advocacy service.

There were sufficient, skilled staff to support people at all times and there were robust recruitment processes in place. Staff were well trained and used their training effectively to support people. The staff understood and complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. They were caring and respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff were encouraged to contribute to the development of the service and understood the provider’s visions and values.

There was an effective quality assurance system in place.

During our inspection, we used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service, because some people had complex needs which meant they were not always able to talk to us about their experiences. In addition we were able to talk with two of the six people living at Pemdale.

We found that care plans were well documented to promote continuity of care. Staff we spoke with were clear about the needs of the people they were caring for, and accurately reflected the care described in their care plans. We saw evidence that people's nutritional requirements were assessed and managed in line with their needs, and these were reviewed on a regular basis.

We found that people living in the home received their prescribed medication when they needed it and in a way that suited them. The premises were well maintained to ensure the home remained safe for people using the service, staff and visitors. Suitable arrangements were in place to address people's comments and complaints, and this ensured they were listened to.

During our inspection of Pemdale on 16 August 2012 we used a number of different methods to help us understand the experience of people using the service, because some of the people using the service had complex needs which meant that they were not able to tell us their experiences.

When we arrived, two people were getting ready to go out. They went in the home’s minibus to a local woodland area where they had a good walk, arriving home in time for lunch. One person was very happily singing and dancing to Elvis music in the lounge, with staff joining in. Another person was attending their day service. The fifth person who lives at this home told us he had been pottering around in his greenhouse and watering the garden.

There was a happy, homely atmosphere, with staff and people who live at the home sharing laughter and having fun, clearly enjoying each other’s company.

During our inspection of Pemdale on 15 May 2012 we used a number of different methods to help us understand the experience of people using the service, because some of the people using the service had complex needs which meant that they were not able to tell us their experiences.

One person told us they were looking forward to going on holiday to Spain and were happy that staff would be supporting them to do this.

We observed that, in their different ways, people showed that they were content living at this home and that they had good relationships with the staff. They showed that they felt safe, and were satisfied with the service being provided. There was a lot of laughter and friendly banter between staff and people living there during our inspection.

During our visit to Pemdale on 23 November 2011 we spoke briefly with one person who told us they were happy living here. During our observations we noted that people had good relationships with the staff who were very kind and caring, and attentive to people’s needs. People told us they liked the staff and showed that they enjoyed the staffs’ company.