Care service description

The service is registered to provide accommodation for up to 15 people who predominantly have learning disabilities. The home is a large bungalow which has been split into three individual houses connected by a shared corridor. Staff worked across all three houses.

Rating at last inspection

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

Staff had an excellent understanding of people’s needs and found imaginative ways to ensure people were supported in a person-centred way which put people at the centre of the service.

Staff provided person-centred support by listening to people and engaging them at every opportunity. Staff worked together as a team and worked with healthcare professionals to provide an environment where people could recover from stressful situations and enjoy their lives. Staff were compassionate, kind and caring and had developed excellent relationships with people.

People had a variety of internal activities (such as art and craft) and external activities which they enjoyed on a regular basis.

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

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidelines. 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.

Support plans were detailed and reviewed with the person when possible, staff who supported the person and family members. Staff looked to identify best practise and used this to people’s benefit. Staff worked with and took advice from health care professionals. People’s health care needs were met.

Recruitment, staffing, medicine management, infection control and upkeep of the premises protected people from unsafe situations and harm.

Staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from abuse and discrimination. They knew to report any concerns and ensure action was taken. The registered manager worked with the local authority safeguarding adults team to protect people.

Staff were trained and supported to be skilled and efficient in their roles. They were very happy about the level of training and support they received and showed competence when supporting people.

The premises provided people with a variety of spaces for their use with relevant facilities to meet their needs. Bedrooms were very individual and age and gender appropriate. Staff promoted people’s dignity and privacy.

The registered manager ran a well organised service. Relatives’ views were sought, and opportunities taken to improve the service. Staff were supervised, supported and clear about what was expected of them. Audits and checks were carried out in-house, so any problem could be identified and rectified.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

The inspection took place on 6 and 8 April 2016. This was an unannounced inspection. The service was last inspected in October 2013. There were no breaches of regulations at that time.

The service is registered to provide accommodation for up to fifteen people and cares for people who predominantly have learning disabilities needs. The home is divided into three individual houses which are connected by a shared corridor.

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 about how the service is run.’

The service was safe. Risk assessments were implemented and reflected the current level of risk to people. There were sufficient staffing levels to ensure safe care and treatment to support people.

People were receiving effective care and support. Staff received appropriate training which was relevant to their role. Staff received regular supervisions and appraisals. Where required, the service was adhering to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) or Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

The service was caring. People and their relatives spoke positively about the staff at the home. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of respect and dignity and they were observed providing care which maintained this.

The service was responsive. Care plans were detailed, person centred and provided sufficient detail to provide safe, high quality care to people. Care plans were reviewed and people were involved in the planning of their care. There was a robust complaints procedure in place and where complaints had been made, there was evidence these had been dealt with appropriately.

The service was well-led. Quality assurance checks and audits were occurring regularly and identified actions required to improve the service. Staff, people and their relatives spoke positively about the registered manager.

Some people living at 2a Court Road had complex needs and were unable to tell us about their care. We carried out observations of the interaction between members of staff and the people they supported in the different areas of the home and found staff to be caring in their approach.

We spoke with one person living at the home, who was supported by the manager, when we asked them for their views. They confirmed they could go to staff if they were unhappy and told us that they made choices about their lifestyle. We observed that they involved in the routines of the home.

We spoke with relatives who were visiting and we were told “The care is really good, not just the practical care, we really do feel they (the staff) care for the residents, not just a job”.

We saw that people's care and support was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure their safety and welfare. Staff we spoke with demonstrated a clear understanding of people’s preferences, wishes, and how they should be supported with their individual needs and kept safe.

We looked at various records kept at the home including three people's care plans, how people were being kept safe, and the level of staffing. We saw there were effective methods to audit and monitor people’s care so that improvements could be made.

The people using the service had complex needs which meant that they were not able to directly tell us about their experiences. We therefore used a number of different methods to help us understand their life at the home. These included sitting with them when they had their lunchtime meal and observing their support, looking at their records and speaking with people who supported them.

We spoke with two relatives who were visiting at the time of our inspection. They told us that they were extremely satisfied with the care and support their relative received. They told us “X has come on in leaps and bounds and they are doing things that we never thought they could achieve. It is a credit to the staff working here”. The visitors also told us “we have no concerns or complaints the care provided here is excellent, second to none”.

All of the staff we spoke with demonstrated a sound knowledge of the people they supported. They gave clear examples of peoples preferences and told us how they communicated with people. One person told us “we are working with people with complex needs and it is our responsibility to understand what they want and to provide it for them in a responsive way”. Another staff member said “I get a great deal of satisfaction from my job, we have built up relationships of trust and it is important that people feel safe with us”.