Spring Park provides accommodation, personal care and support for up to three adults who have a learning disability. There were four people living at the home at the time of our inspection as the provider had recently changed their statement of purpose to accommodate an additional person in the house.

There was a registered manager in place, who had taken up their post since our last 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. The registered manager assisted us with our inspection.

People were supported to eat safely. People who had needs related to eating and drinking had guidance in place to help ensure they received their food in the most appropriate way for them. People were supported to eat the food they wanted. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and knew people well. We observed people being supported in line with their care plans which were person-centred and detailed.

Where necessary, referrals had been made to health and social care professionals to ensure that people remained healthy. People’s well-being was the most important thing to staff and as such staff put people at the heart of the service. People were encouraged to experience a wide range of activities to suit their individual preferences.

People were cared for by staff who responded to people’s needs resulting in a positive effect on people’s wellbeing. Where people had experienced deterioration in their mobility or suffered with emotional needs there was a consistent approach from staff which resulted in people gaining confidence and independence. People were actively encouraged to be independent and were supported by staff to learn and develop new skills. Professionals spoke positively about staff and the care that people received. Staff recognised people as individual’s and developed ways of ensuring that they had the opportunity to make decisions in their care and felt listened to.

The management oversight of the home was good. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and told us that because of their approach it had created a good ethos and culture within the staff team. Relatives and advocates told us the registered manager provided good leadership for the home. The registered manager also managed another of the provider’s registered homes but demonstrated that this did not diminish their ability to manage Spring Park effectively. Records were well organised, up to date and stored confidentially where necessary.

People were safe because staff understood any risks involved in their care and took action to minimise these risks. The rota was planned to ensure there were sufficient staff to keep people safe and meet their needs. Staff told us that people never missed out on any planned activities because they always ensured there were enough staff available. Staff understood their roles in keeping people safe and protecting them from abuse. The provider carried out appropriate pre-employment checks before staff started work.

Staff maintained a safe environment, including appropriate standards of fire safety. The provider had developed plans to ensure people would continue to receive care in the event of an emergency. People received the medicines they required and the storage and recording of medicines followed best practice. Accidents and incidents were recorded with detailed information about actions taken.

People’s care was provided by staff who had access to the training and support they needed to do their jobs. People were supported to have maximum control of their lives. Staff followed the principals of the Mental Capacity Act which meant they supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

People were supported

Spring Park is a care home which provides care and support for up to three people who have a learning disability, such as autism. At the time of our visit there were three people living at the home.

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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager was present during our inspection.

People lived in an environment that was safe, supportive, kind and caring. Staff were seen to have a good relationship with people, understand their needs and respect people when they wished to have time alone.

The registered manager ensured enough staff were deployed each day to enable people to either stay indoors or go out to activities.

People were kept safe because risks had been identified and assessed. People were not prevented from doing things they enjoyed because of potential risk. Instead staff developed ways to keep people free from harm to ensure they could continue their preferred activity. For example, by being accompanied by staff or using facilities within the organisation.

Staff had followed legal requirements to make sure that any restrictions to people were done in the person’s best interests. Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Guidance was available for staff on what to do if an emergency occurred or the home had to close for a period of time. In these situations people’s care would not be interrupted.

Staff were provided with training specific to the needs of people which allowed them to carry out their role in an effective way. Staff met together regularly and felt supported by the registered manager and higher management within the organisation. Staff were able to meet their line manager on a one to one basis regularly.

Medicines were administered and stored in a safe way. Regular audits were undertaken to ensure staff were following best practice in medicine administration.

Appropriate checks were carried out to help ensure only suitable staff worked in the home. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to safeguard people from abuse and were able to tell us what they would do in such an event.

People were supported to keep healthy and had access to external health services. Professional involvement was sought by staff when appropriate.

Staff encouraged people to be independent and to do things for themselves, such as help around the home or do some cooking. Everyone was involved in choosing the foods they ate and where possible participating in making their own meals.

Staff supported people in an individualised way and encouraged people to try new things wherever possible. Activities were arranged which meant something to people.

A complaints procedure was available for any concerns and relatives and people were encouraged to feedback their views and ideas into the running of the home. This included any compliments people had.

The provider and registered manager carried out a number of checks to make sure people received a good quality of care. Staff had a good understanding of the aims and ethos of the home and they were supported to follow best practice.

We looked at the personal care or treatment records of people who use the service, carried out a visit on 20 May 2014, observed how people were being cared for and talked with carers and / or family members. We talked with staff.

What people told us and what we found

We carried out an inspection at Spring Park to look at the care and treatment that people who used the service received.

As part of our inspection we spoke with four staff which included the temporary manager. We were unable to having meaningful conversations with the three people who lived in Spring Park due to their complex needs. We did however speak with one relative and a care professional.

The inspector considered our inspection findings to answer questions we always ask:

Is the service safe?

Is the service effective?

Is the service caring?

Is the service responsive?

Is the service well-led?

Is the service safe?

We saw that the provider had taken action following a recent incident which ensured that people who used the service were safe.

Recruitment practice was safe and thorough and ensured that only staff suitable to work with vulnerable people were employed by the service.

The home had policies and procedures that related to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs were assessed and reviewed regularly. Our observations showed us that staff had a good understanding of people's needs.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff. We saw that staff showed patience and gave encouragement when supporting people.

People's preferences, interests, and diverse needs were provided in accordance with people's wishes. For example, we saw that one person liked to spend their time in the garden, whilst another preferred to watch television.

Is the service responsive?

Staff were attentive and supported people quickly when they needed assistance. We saw evidence in the care files that staff had responded to change in individuals’ health needs.

Is the service well-led?

We saw that satisfaction questionnaires were sent out to relatives or other stakeholders annually. We also heard that where possible a six-monthly meeting took place between the keyworker, the person who used the service and any other individuals who were involved with the care for that person.

Regular checks were completed in the home. These included health and safety, fire and maintenance to ensure the environment that people lived in was safe and appropriately maintained.

There were two people living in the home on the day of our inspection.

Due to people's special communication needs it was difficult to ask people directly about their views on the home. We saw however that people who used the service were well cared for, and looked happy and relaxed.

The manager was working alone on the day of our visit and we observed that there was good interaction between the manager and the people who used the service.

We spoke with staff on the phone following our visit who were able to demonstrate a good knowledge of people's needs.

We looked at care plans and risk assessments, and found that they gave a very good account of people's needs and the action plans for staff to follow to achieve identified goals.

We looked at other records including quality assurance monitoring, staff recruitment, training and development records. Staff also confirmed on the phone some of the training they had undertaken, and some of the training planned for the coming year.

Due to peoples communication needs it was difficult to ask people directly about their views on the home.

We spent time in the lounge observing care and found there was a relaxed and caring atmosphere in the home.

People gestured to us that they were enjoyed living in Spring Park.

They signed to us that they were enjoying their food.

We observed someone lying on the sofa in the lounge enjoying music.