About the service:

Norbury Avenue is a supported living service providing 24-hour care and support for people with mild to moderate learning disabilities, mental health needs and autistic spectrum conditions.

The service can accommodate seven people with six bedrooms on the first floor and one bedroom on the ground floor. At the time of our inspection five people were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways, promotion of choice and control, independence and inclusion. For example, people’s support focused on them having as much choice and control over their everyday lives as possible.

People were happy and relaxed in the company of staff. People knew staff and the registered manager and were comfortable approaching them, asking questions or speaking about their day. Staff took time to listen and responded appropriately.

People told us they liked the staff and relatives we spoke with confirmed staff were kind and caring.

People continued to receive safe care by staff who knew the risks people faced. Staff supported people to be independent while keeping them safe.

Managers and staff knew how to record and report concerns, this included any safeguarding concerns. When an incident or accident happened, the reason was investigated and changes were made to make things better for people.

Staff had received training and had the support they needed to do their job well.

People were encouraged to make choices about their lives and to be as independent as they could be. Staff helped people work towards their goals and encouraged people to engage in the activities they wanted to do. This included additional learning to help them support their independence.

People were supported to keep in touch with friends and family.

Staff supported people to attend health care appointments and made sure heath care professionals knew how to support people during treatment.

Managers and staff put people at the centre of the service. People were asked their views about how the service was run and what staff could do to make things better.

Improvements and maintenance were needed around the service to keep people safe and to make a nicer environment for people to live in. The provider and the landlord had agreed what improvements were needed and the expected dates of completion. We will monitor progress and look at this again during our next inspection.

Rating at last inspection:

Good (The date the last report published was 09 September 2016)

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive. We will inspect in line with our inspection programme or sooner if required.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

The inspection took place on 12 August 2016. The inspection was announced 48 hours in advance because the manager and staff are often out supporting people in the community; we needed to make sure there would be someone available at the premises. This was the first inspection of the service; the service had a change of provider in 2015.

Norbury Avenue is a supported living service that provided a service for seven people in order to promote their independence.

The service had a registered manager who was present for the inspection. ‘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.’

People felt safe because of the service they received, they were well informed and supported by staff.

Positive risk taking was promoted balancing the potential benefits and risks of choosing particular action, in order to support people to live fulfilling lives. The registered manager and staff had an excellent understanding of managing risks and supported people to overcome obstacles they found challenging. In delivering this approach people were supported to try new things and make changes in their lives to reach their full potential.

People were treated with dignity and respect. People received the support they needed and were able to express their views and make decisions that were in their best interests. The manager involved family members/relatives as appropriate.

The manager gave clear leadership. The manager ensured that staff had a full understanding of people’s support needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. Training provision was good and staff received regular supervisions and appraisals. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and how to provide the best support for people.

People were placed at the heart of the service, which was organised to suit their individual needs and aspirations. People’s achievements were celebrated and their views were sought and acted on. Care and support was planned and delivered in a person-centred way. The service worked creatively to ensure people led fulfilling lives, they were supported to make choices and develop new skills. People had developed travel skills and took part in a range of community facilities independently.

There was a robust recruitment procedure to help ensure the staff recruited were suitable for the work they did. People were encouraged to participate in the interviewing process for potential employees demonstrating the service’s commitment to the culture of inclusion and participation within the service.