The Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (The ARC), had recently changed to an integrated provider with the national health service and social services working together to provide care and support for 33 people. The staff team consists of rehabilitation support workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nurses. The team all work together to assess and rehabilitate people over a period of approximately four weeks to enable them to live independently in their own home. Accommodation is located on two floors with a lift available to facilitate access to the second floor.

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People staying at the ARC told us they were happy with their care and liked the staff who looked after them. We observed care practices throughout our inspection visit and saw staff were kind and patient with the people in their care. One person staying at the ARC said, “The staff are very kind and very caring.”

The service had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices.

Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were relevant to the care provided.

We saw staff assisting people with mobility problems. They were kind and patient and assisted people safely.

The service had sufficient staffing levels in place to provide support people required. We saw staff members could undertake tasks supporting people without feeling rushed. People staying at the ARC told us staff were responsive to their needs.

Medication procedures at the ARC were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medicines were safely kept with appropriate arrangements for storing in place.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained, was clean and hygienic and a safe place for people to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

The service had safe infection control procedures in place and staff had received infection control training. Staff wore protective clothing such as gloves and aprons when needed. This reduced the risk of cross infection.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People had been consulted about their care and had agreed with the support to be provided.

People told us they were happy with the variety and choice of meals available to them. We saw regular snacks and drinks were provided between meals to ensure people received adequate nutrition and hydration.

People staying at the ARC were supported by occupational therapists and physiotherapists with their rehabilitation. They had access to nursing staff to attend to their nursing needs and General Practitioners (GPs) visited the service daily between Monday and Friday to monitor people’s health needs.

The design of the building and facilities provided were appropriate for the care and support provided.

People told us staff were caring towards them. Staff we spoke with understood the importance of high standards of care to give people meaningful lives.

People’s care and support was planned with them. People told us they had been consulted and listened to about how their support would be delivered.

The service had information with regards to support from an external advocate should this be required by them.

The service had a complaints procedure in place. People we spoke with told us they were happy and had no complaints.

People told us their privacy was respected and staff treated them with re

This inspection visit took place on 03 June 2015 and was unannounced.

At the last inspection on 23 October 2013 the service was meeting the requirements of the regulations that were inspected at that time.

The Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (The ARC) is based in a quiet residential area of Blackpool. The ARC offers social care rehabilitation for 33 people who need a short period of intensive support in a 24 hour setting. Support is accessed via an assessment of need from an Adult Social Care or Health professional. It is available to people who are discharged from hospital, any residential or nursing home, or to meet the needs of people who are at home to prevent an escalation of need. The staff team involves rehabilitation support workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, falls prevention workers and nurses, who all work together to identify goals to promote independence. Accommodation is located on two floors with a lift available to facilitate access to the second floor. At the time of our inspection visit there were 26 people who lived at the ARC.

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.

The registered manager had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report any unsafe care or abusive practices. People we spoke with told us they felt safe and their rights and dignity were respected.

The care plans we looked at described the daily support people received. This included personal care support and rehabilitation exercises undertaken with an occupational therapist and physiotherapist. One person we spoke with said, “The support and treatment I am receiving has been excellent. The staff have been very kind and patient with me.”

We found recruitment procedures were safe with appropriate checks undertaken before new staff members commenced their employment. Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed a structured induction training and development programme was in place.

Staff received regular training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and support needs.

The environment was well maintained, clean and hygienic when we visited. No offensive odours were observed by any members of the inspection team. The people we spoke with said they were happy with the standard of hygiene in place. One person we spoke with said, “No complaints about hygiene. The place is spotless.”

People were happy with the variety and choice of meals available to them. Regular snacks and drinks were provided between meals to ensure people received adequate nutrition and hydration. The cook had information about people’s dietary needs and these were being met.

Activities were arranged to assist people with their rehabilitation. These included dressing and stair practice, falls prevention, hand therapy, relaxation and function and fitness groups.

Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. People told us they received their medicines at the times they needed them.

The service had policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Discussion with the registered manager confirmed she understood when an application should be made and in how to submit one. This meant that people would be safeguarded as required.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included questionnaires which were issued to people on their discharge to encourage feedback about the service they had received. The people we spoke with during our inspection visit told us they were satisfied with the service they were receiving.

During the inspection we looked at care, staff training records, staff supervision arrangements, the services safeguarding procedures and quality monitoring arrangements. We did this because we wanted to identify that appropriate arrangements were in place to support staff members. We also wanted to ensure people were safe and supported by well trained staff.

We were supported on this inspection by an expert by experience. This is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

The expert by experience spoke with a number of people receiving support with their rehabilitation following discharge from hospital. Comments received were all positive about the care being provided. People told us they felt safe in the care of staff. One person said, “They are absolutely superb here. The staff are a strange breed, they give 100% commitment and effort to everyone”. People told us they knew the names and roles of staff who supported them. One person said, “I know all the staff, social workers and physiotherapists by their first name”.

We found people were being supported by staff who had been well trained and appropriate support arrangements were in place for them. Good care practices were observed and people were found to be having their nutritional needs met.

During our inspection we looked at care records and the centres duty rota. We did this to confirm people were being well supported and staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs. We also spoke with people staying at the centre, the manager and staff members. The people we spoke with said they were receiving safe and appropriate care which was meeting their needs. They told us the staff were polite, caring and professional when undertaking their work. Comments received included:

“I was visited initially whilst in hospital and the support I required was discussed. I then attended a meeting when I arrived from hospital with occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers and nursing staff. The whole process was very thorough and I was very impressed. We discussed my needs in detail and we all agreed on the support to be provided”.

“I really enjoy the exercises. They are helping to improve my health and I feel better than when I arrived. My time here has not been wasted”.

“The staff here are friendly, helpful and attentive. My stay has lived up to expectations with the care and comfort provided”.

"Perfectly happy and I have no complaints".

People told us they had been given plenty of information about the service being provided to make an informed choice about whether the home was the right place to meet their needs.

We spoke to people about their experiences living in the home and were told the staff team provided sensitive and flexible personal care support and they felt well cared for.

“The care I required was discussed with me when I arrived at the home. I was fully involved in the decision making process and confirmed I was happy with the support to be provided”.

“I am being very well looked after thank you. The staff are very kind and patient. I would say they are perfect”.

“I am very happy with the support being provided. The staff are all very kind and caring people”.

"The staff are brilliant. We are being well looked after"

“I can not praise the staff enough for the support and treatment they gave my mother. They are a very dedicated team of staff”.

“The care I required was discussed with me when I arrived at the home. I was fully involved in the decision making process and confirmed I was happy with the support to be provided”.

“The food is lovely. You always get plenty to eat. They have a menu on display in the dining room telling us the meals for the day. If you want something different you just have to speak to the cook. They are very accommodating”.

”I am a diabetic and have a special diet provided”.

"The staff are great. They are very responsive when you need them. You never have to wait long for attention. I am treated with great care and dignity”.

Public Protection Officers representing the Health and Safety and Environmental Health Sections of Blackpool Council’s Quality Services Directorate told us the building was well maintained, kitchen and bathrooms were clean and equipment being used by the staff such as hoists etc were well maintained and in good working order when they last visited.

An Infection Control Specialist at Blackpool Primary Care Trust (PCT) told us the policies and procedures the home has in place comply with the Code of Practice on prevention and control of infections and regulated guidance. They confirmed there have been no outbreaks or concerns about infection control brought to their attention and the district nurses visiting the home had expressed no concerns about the homes hygiene procedures.

Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service told us following their recent visit to the home they had no concerns about the building.