People’s experience of using this service:

The provider was not consistently following current law and guidance in relation to the Mental Capacity Act (2005). For example, they had made applications for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) for people who had capacity to consent to their treatment and had not notified us of the outcomes for DoLS applications as they are required to do.

The views of people, staff and relatives were consistently sought and used to inform the development and improvement of the service. Audits and checks were very effective in identifying gaps in practice and then improving these issues . People and staff were happy with the way the service was led and managed.

The premises enabled people to enjoy their own space and practice independent living skills. People used healthcare services when they needed to. Staff received training relevant for the people’s needs.

There were high levels of staffing which meant people received sufficient support for trips to the community and what they wanted to do during the day. Staff managed risks to people and people received their medication when they needed it.

Staff treated people with kindness and were patient in their approach. People were supported to maintain and develop their independence and had the privacy of having their own flats.

People’s needs and routines had been assessed and planned for. Staff support was arranged in a way so that individual routines and preferences could be met. People knew how to complain and felt confident that any concerns would be listened to and acted on.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good (10 December 2015).

About the service:

Victoria Road is a residential care home that provides personal care for people with learning disabilities, autism and/or mental health difficulties. At the time of the inspection there were four people using the service.

The home is a large house which has been divided into individual flats. Each flat has its own kitchen and bathroom.

The care service has been developed in line with the values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

Further details about the service can be found in the full report.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection to check that this service remained Good.

Enforcement:

No enforcement action was required.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive. If we receive any information of concern, we may inspect sooner.

This inspection took place on 10 December 2015 and was unannounced. At our last inspection on 30 January 2014 the provider was meeting the regulations we looked at.

Victoria Road is a care home which is registered to provide care to up to four people. The home specialises in the care of people who have a learning disability. On the day of our inspection there were four people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in post and they were present during our 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 were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider ensured that staff had received the training they needed so that they could recognise and respond to the risk of abuse.

People were protected from the risk of harm because risks to people were assessed and action taken to minimise them.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff.

People were supported to receive their medication as prescribed because the provider had effective systems in place.

People were supported by staff that had received the training and support they needed so that they could carry out their role effectively.

People were supported by staff that were kind , respectful and knew them well. People were supported to pursue their interest and hobbies.

People were treated with dignity and respect and were encouraged to develop their independent living skills.

People were able to make choices and decisions about how their care was arranged and delivered.

People knew what to do if they were unhappy with the care they received.

People were supported to prepare food and drinks that they enjoyed.

The provider had effective management systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided to people.

People who lived here had complex support needs with some difficult to manage behaviour. They became anxious when meeting people they did not know well. We therefore spent time observing how staff interacted with and supported them to understand their experiences. We spoke with the manager and one member of staff, and looked at two people's records.

We saw that people were treated with dignity and respect and asked what they wanted to do. We observed that people were supported and comfortable with the care staff. One person had become upset and we saw that this was handled very well averting further distress. We saw that people were encouraged to be independent.

The records looked at confirmed that people had personalised care plans in place and they contained clear, up to date information, including advice from health professionals involved in their care and treatment. This meant that staff had all the information they needed to support people safely and appropriately in the way they preferred.

Medication management was looked at and we saw that this was managed well. Medication was stored properly, all forms had been completed and staff had received training and support. This meant that medication had been managed safely.

Staff were safely recruited and received the training they needed, so they knew how to support the people using the service. This meant that people had been supported by skilled staff who were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

People living here had complex support needs with some difficult to manage behaviour. They became anxious when meeting people they did not know well. We therefore spent time observing how staff interacted with and supported them to understand their experiences. We spoke with three members of staff, and looked at two people’s records and spoke with one person living here who said “It’s great here” and gave us the thumbs up.

We saw that people were treated with respect and dignity and were comfortable and at ease with the staff and in their surroundings. We observed that people were encouraged to do things for themselves, so promoting their independence skills.

Records sampled, showed that people had personalised care plans in place that contained clear, up to date information including advice from health professionals involved in their care and treatment. This meant that staff had all the information they needed to support people safely and appropriately in the way they preferred.

Staff were safely recruited and received the training they needed, so they knew how to support the people using the service. This meant that people were supported by skilled staff who were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The people using the service were asked for their views about the service and these were listened to.

This meant that people were experiencing good quality care.