Pelham Manor

Pelham Manor offers residential care for up to seven adults with learning disabilities and autistic individuals, who may also have complex health needs. This report details an inspection that assessed the service's performance across five key areas: safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness, and leadership. The overall aim of the inspection was to ensure residents receive high-quality, person-centred care that upholds their rights, dignity, and independence.

Regarding safety, improvements have been made in areas like fire and water safety, and residents are involved in personalising their rooms. However, the service needs to better adhere to government guidance on infection prevention and control, particularly regarding the use of personal protective equipment by staff and visitors. Additionally, recruitment practices require strengthening to ensure all necessary checks are consistently completed for new staff, especially agency personnel, to guarantee residents' safety.

In terms of how effective the care is, residents are supported to pursue their interests and engage with the local community, and staff communicate effectively with them. However, there are inconsistencies in ensuring residents' choices and independence are maximised, and in consistently applying the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Not all staff have completed essential training in specific areas like dysphagia and choking, and important health information is not always easily accessible.

The care provided at Pelham Manor is described as kind and compassionate, with staff demonstrating a good understanding of residents' individual needs and communication styles, including those with limited verbal expression. Relatives generally express positive views about the staff's caring nature, and there are sufficient staff numbers to meet residents' needs.

The service is responsive to residents' needs, ensuring they can access specialist health and social care support in the community, and staff support them effectively with their medicines and dietary requirements. Residents are involved in personalised activities, and communication methods are tailored to meet their needs, including planning for periods of distress.

Concerning leadership, the management team is approachable and receptive to feedback, fostering an open culture. However, the systems for quality assurance and monitoring are not always effective in identifying and rectifying shortfalls, and there is a need to improve how feedback from residents and families is gathered and acted upon. The service has experienced significant staff turnover, which relatives feel is not ideal for residents who thrive on routine.