Church Road is registered to provide care and support to up to 11 people. The home specialises in the care of people with learning disabilities, autism and physical disabilities. The home is divided into two main areas; Church Road Heights provides accommodation for up to six people in self-contained flats. The main home is able to accommodate five people in en-suite bedrooms with shared communal areas. At the time of the inspection there were eight people using the service

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going 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.

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.)

People received care and support that was safe and personalised to their specific needs and wishes. People took part in a variety of activities according to their interests and abilities.

There was a warm and friendly relationship between people who lived and worked at the home. Staff knew people well and used skill and empathy to enable communications to take place. Staff offered people choices and understood how to support people when they were unable to make decisions for themselves

The provider had systems and processes in place to keep people safe and minimise the risk of abuse. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their needs in a relaxed manner. Staff levels had recently been increased to enable people to participate in more activities and social outings.

People received effective care and support from staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff were offered opportunities to review and up-date good practice in line with current guide-lines.

People had access to a variety of health care professionals to make sure their health care needs were assessed and met.

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.

The variety of accommodation and support in the service enabled people to live a life that balanced their needs for independence and safety.

People's privacy was respected and everyone had access to their private rooms if they wished to spend time alone.

People lived in a home which was well managed by a competent management team and had a commitment to continuous improvement. Staff felt well supported and their morale was good which created a happy place for people to live.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 6 April 2016.

Church Road is registered to provide care and support to up to 11 people. The home specialises in the care of people with learning disabilities, autism and physical disabilities. The home is split into two main areas; Church Road Heights provides accommodation for up to six people in self-contained flats and the main part of the home is able to accommodate five people in en-suite bedrooms with shared communal areas. At the time of the inspection there were eight people using the service.

The last inspection of the home was carried out in August 2014. No concerns were identified with the care being provided to people at that inspection.

There is 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 building had been refurbished since the last inspection in response to the needs of people using the service. Self-contained flats had been created to promote people’s independence whilst still providing round the clock care and support. One person told us “The flat has made me. I can do much more for myself. I have my own routine but the staff still help me if I get anxious.” The main part of the house had also been refurbished and provided a smaller more comfortable environment than previously. There was a calm and relaxed atmosphere throughout the home.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to keep people safe and to provide care and support in an unhurried manner. People told us staff were always kind and caring. People who were unable to express their views verbally, looked comfortable and relaxed with the staff who supported them. Relatives commented on the how caring staff at the home were.

The management of the home was described as open and approachable and we were told by people, staff and relatives that they would be comfortable to raise any concerns. Where concerns had been raised within the home appropriate action had been taken to make sure people were fully protected.

People were able to make choices about all aspects of their day to day lives. Staff used a variety of communication methods to help people to make choices. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions for themselves staff knew how to support them in accordance with their legal rights.

Everyone had a care plan which was personal to them and people or their representatives were involved in reviews of their care. Care plans gave information about people’s needs, wishes and preferred routines. This meant staff had enough information to provide appropriate support to each individual.

People took part in a wide range of activities according to their personal interests and abilities. People had access to transport which enabled them to access community facilities and to visit friends and family.

Staff supported people to access healthcare professionals to meet long term health care needs and to treat acute illnesses. One person told us “If I’m not well they get the doctor to come and see me.” A relative told us they thought the staff had been excellent in monitoring and seeking support for a person’s health condition. Where people needed to take prescribed medicines, these were safely administered by staff who were competent to do so.

A single inspector carried out this inspection.

The focus of the inspection was to answer five key questions; is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?

The summary describes what people using the service, their relatives and the staff told us, what we observed and the records we looked at.

This is a summary of what we found:

Is the service safe?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. All the people living at Church Road were unable to make some decisions about their care and treatment so were receiving some elements of their care under care of the Mental Capacity Act.

We observed that the registered manager had followed due process in applying for DoLs to ensure safety and essential treatment.

The staff we spoke with were knowledgeable and aware of their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act. We observed that best interest assessments had been conducted for people who lacked the capacity to make decisions about certain aspects of their care and to ensure safety.

Equipment at the home had been well maintained and serviced regularly. There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of the people living at the home.

Policies and procedures were in place. Risk assessments had been conducted for all people living in the home and staff we spoke with were confident that the training they had received as part of induction and mandatory training helped them to care for people living in the home.

Staff told us they felt well supported, worked well as a team and that communication was very good.

Is the service effective?

The care plans and risk assessments we looked at suggested that care was effective and regularly reviewed and changed in response to changing needs. We saw evidence of multi-professional and family involvement in individual care plans.

People living in the home were unable to verbally communicate with us. It was clear from what we observed and from speaking with staff that they understood people’s care needs well and were able to interpret non-verbal communication. Staff had received training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of people living in the home.

Is the service caring?

We observed people being cared for by kind, respectful and attentive staff. Staff members told us “It’s come a long way, it’s a really nice place and we try to give them a better quality of life” and “We encourage and support independence whenever possible, people’s individuality is respected.”

We saw detailed information in people’s individual care plans that identified preferences and dislikes to ensure that care and treatment was tailored to the needs of the individual. We observed people’s privacy and dignity being maintained.

Is the service responsive?

We saw evidence of family members suggesting increased communication and how the service had responded. This had been achieved by sending monthly information sheets covering activity, treatments and accomplishments. This demonstrated a responsive service that actively seeks people's views and opinions and responds to them.

Is the service well-led?

There was a registered manager in place who was registered with the commission. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. Feedback was obtained on a six monthly basis from family members and on an annual basis from visiting professionals. Comprehensive health and safety risk assessments and audits were undertaken on a regular basis.

Staff told us “The manager is supportive and accessible” and “I have had lots of support from the team.” Staff told us they had regular training, supervision and appraisals.

We observed a variety of policies and protocols to ensure the safety of people living in the home. Quality assurance processes were in place and up to date.

The manager told us that despite the inconvenience of the current protracted building work, staff were able to see ‘the bigger picture’ that will result in safer and more appropriate accommodation to meet people’s needs.