Scottlyn is a care home situated in Widdrington Northumberland that provides accommodation, care and support for up to eight people. There were eight people using the service at the time of the inspection.

A registered manager was in post and our records showed they had been registered with CQC since August 2014. 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 last inspected the service on 22 and 23 December 2014. We found one breach of regulations related to good governance.

At the last inspection we found that systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were not sufficiently robust to pick up all of the shortfalls we identified. At this inspection we found that steps had been taken to address this issue and improved systems were in place. Fire safety checks which we found had lapsed at our last inspection had recommenced.

A fire safety officer report raised a concern about one night staff member being able to evacuate the premises sufficiently quickly in the event of a fire at night. They asked for timed drills to be carried out which had taken place, and fell within the required timescale for evacuation. We spoke with the fire safety officer who told us they planned to go and observe the evacuation. We have asked them to contact us following their visit for feedback.

A number of safety checks of the premises were carried out, including Legionella, gas and electrical safety checks. The premises were well maintained and clean.

There were some staff vacancies but there were suitable numbers of staff on duty during our inspection. Recruitment of new staff was in progress. The registered manager told us they tried wherever possible to avoid bringing too many new staff into the service to support people in order to maintain familiarity and consistency of care. Safe recruitment procedures continued to be followed.

Individual risks to be people had been assessed, and plans were in place to mitigate these. Accidents and incidents were analysed by the registered manager to check for any patterns or trends.

Training continued to be provided by the provider, including health and safety training they considered mandatory, and also training specific to the needs of people using the service. Health needs of people were met and they had access to a variety of health professionals.

People were supported with eating and drinking, and were offered a choice of meals. A healthy balanced diet was promoted and special dietary needs were catered for. Adaptive cutlery was available for people to maximise their independence with eating and drinking. Support at mealtimes was provided sensitively and discreetly.

The provider continued to operate within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Records relating to mental capacity, consent and best interests decisions were suitably maintained.

People's bedrooms were homely and personalised. A large garden area was available to the rear of the home where people enjoyed gardening. A range of activities were available to people based on their interests and preferences.

We observed kind and caring interactions from all staff. Relatives and a care manager also provided very positive feedback about the staff.

Person centred care plans were in place which detailed people's individual needs. Care plans were up to date and evaluated monthly. Care plan review records were detailed.

A complaints procedure was in place although there had been no formal complaints since the previous inspection.

Systems to improve the monitoring of the quality and safety of the service had been improved. Staff spoke highly of the manager and morale appeared good amongst staff. The manager worked c

Scottlyn is a care home situated in Widdrington Northumberland that provides accommodation, care and support for up to eight people with learning and physical disabilities, and personal care needs. There were eight people living at the service at the time of our inspection.

This inspection was carried out on the 22 and 23 December 2014 and it was unannounced.

The home has a registered manager who has also worked for a predecessor organisation prior to this provider registering with the Care Quality Commission in July 2014. 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 were not able to converse with all of the people who lived at the home, but those people that we could speak with told us they felt safe. People’s relatives said they had not seen anything when visiting the service to give them cause for concern. There were systems in place to protect people from abuse and channels through which staff could raise concerns. We found two safeguarding incidents that occurred within the 12 months prior to our inspection had been handled appropriately, and referred on to the local authority safeguarding team for investigation.

A process was in place to assess people’s needs and the risks they were exposed to in their daily lives. Care records were regularly reviewed and medicines were managed and administered safely. Recruitment processes were thorough and included checks to ensure that staff employed were of good character and appropriately skilled. Staffing levels were determined by people’s needs. Staff records showed they received regular training and that training was up to date. Supervisions for staff were conducted and the RM informed us that the provider had not yet conducted appraisals having only taken over ownership of the business in recent months. Staff confirmed they could feedback their views at any time to the registered manager directly, via supervisions or staff meetings when they took place.

CQC monitors the operation of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS are part of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). They are a legal process which safeguards people to ensure they are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. People’s ability to make informed decisions had been assessed, and the ‘best interest’ decision process (part of the Mental Capacty Act 2005) was followed in practice and appropriately documented within people’s care records.

People told us, and records confirmed that their general healthcare needs were met. We saw people’s general practitioners were contacted where there were concerns about their welfare and other healthcare professionals were also involved in their care such as specialist behavioural teams when necessary. We saw that people’s nutritional needs were being met and specialist advice was sought and implemented where necessary.

Our observations confirmed people experienced care and treatment that protected and promoted their privacy and dignity. Staff displayed caring and compassionate attitudes towards people and people and their relatives spoke positively about the staff team. People had individualised care plans and risk assessments and staff were very aware of people’s individual needs. Social activities took place within the home and we saw people enjoyed trips out into the community.

We received positive feedback about the leadership and management of the home from people, their relatives and staff. Systems were in place to monitor the service provided and care delivered. However, some audits had not been completed for several months prior to our inspection and staff meetings and residents meetings had not taken place for several months. Health and safety checks were carried out on the premises and on equipment used during care delivery, but we found some of these checks, such as fire safety checks had lapsed in recent weeks. We also found that the management of legionella bacteria risks was not appropriate. The provider had not taken the necessary steps to identify, assess and manage risks associated to the health, welfare and safety of service users and others who may be at risk from carrying on the regulated activity.

This is a breach of Regulation 10 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010, which corresponds with a breach of Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. The action we have asked the provider to take in respect of this can be found at the back of this report.

The provider had not notified us of all of the relevant matters that they are required to, in line with Regulation 18 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. We are dealing with this matter outside of this inspection process.