Wilsic Hall College is a specialist residential service offering all year round education and care for up to eight young people aged 19 to 25 years. The young people have complex needs including behaviour that may challenge and a learning disability, often in association with autism. Accommodation is provided in two houses, Orchard Lane 4 and Orchard Lane 5. Each house has individual bedrooms, three of which have en-suite facilities. There are also shared communal areas such as a kitchen, dining area, lounge and gardens. At the time of our inspection eight men were living at the home.

This inspection took place on 26 and 27 July 2017, and was unannounced on the first day. This meant no one connected with the service knew we would be visiting the home that day. The home was previously inspected in July 2015 when we rated it as ‘Good’.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Wilsic Hall College’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk’

The service had a registered manager in post at the time of 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

All the people we spoke with told us they were very happy with the care and support provided at the service, and the way staff delivered that support.

Systems protected people from the risk of harm. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding people and were able to explain the procedures to follow should any concerns be raised.

People were encouraged to be as independent as possible, while staff took into consideration their wishes, and any risks associated with supporting them. Support plans and risk assessments were robust and internal systems were in place to enable the management team to get a clear overview of potential risks to people, so these could be managed effectively. However, not all support plans had been evaluated in line with the provider’s expectations.

People received their medications in a safe and timely way from staff who had been trained to carry out this role.

The recruitment system helped the employer make safer recruitment decisions when employing new staff. New staff had received a comprehensive induction, which included essential training, at the beginning of their employment. An on going training and support programme ensured staff maintained and developed their knowledge and skills.

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 support this practice.

People were involved in planning, shopping for, and helping to prepare their own meals, with assistance from staff when needed.

Wilsic College provided a very caring environment for people to live in. Staff spoke passionately about supporting people to develop their skills and meet their full potential. We found they had used innovative methods to help individual people get over their fears and develop new skills and abilities.

People had access to social activities and education which was tailored to their individual needs and interests. People commented positively about the way staff supported people to develop their skills and knowledge

The provider had a complaints policy to guide people on how to raise concerns and there was a structured system in place for recording the detail and outcome of any concerns raised. This was also available in an easy to read version that used pictures to help people understand the process.

The registered manager and care team demonstrated a commitment to continually improve the service and use lessons learned to take the service forward. There were systems in place to enable peop

This was the first inspection of the service under the Health and Social Care Act. The inspection took place on 13 and 14 July 2015 and it was unannounced. This means that on the first day the registered provider did not know we were going to carry out the inspection. At the time of our inspection, there were three people using the service.

Wilsic Hall College is a specialist residential service, offering education and care for up to 52 weeks per year, for young people aged 19 to 25 years. The young people have complex needs including behaviour that may challenge and a learning disability, often in association with autism. The accommodation includes shared areas such as a kitchen, separate dining area, lounge, three bedrooms with en-suite facilities and a garden.

There was not a registered manager at the service at the time of 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

There was a manager, who was new in post, and the first day of our inspection coincided with the manager’s first day in post. The new manager had worked for the Hesley Group for 16 years and had previously been the team leader at the service, so they were familiar with the people who used the service and their needs. They told us they intended to apply for registration with CQC.

We saw the staff were friendly and kind and people who used the service were relaxed in their company. They understood people’s needs and treated them with respect. We saw that people participated in a range of activities, which were based on people’s interests, were meaningful and promoted their independence, within the service, at college and out in the community.

Medicines records were accurately maintained. However, the temperature of the room where people’s medication was stored was too warm and we identified this as an area which needed improvement.

People who used the service indicated that they felt safe and they had had some training, specifically aimed at helping them to keep safe. People’s plans included areas of risk. However, people’s risk assessments did not reflect all of the relevant risks, or the changes in their lifestyles and needs as they have developed towards adulthood. We identified this as an area which needed improvement.

People’s files were set out in the same order and some of their assessments and plans were very similar. This also needed to be improved, although we found that these issues did not impact on the care and support that people received in a significant way, as staff were very knowledgeable about the people who used the service, could clearly describe their history and preferences and were aware of how to support people.

We found the service followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of practice and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. This helped to protect the rights of people who may not be able to make important decisions themselves.

The service had arrangements in place for recruiting staff safely and there were sufficient staff available to respond to people’s individual needs and to keep people safe. Staff were provided with regular supervision and appraisal for development and support

People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health. It was clear that people were supported to buy and cook things they liked, and people told us they enjoyed the meals.

People told us they could speak with staff if they had any complaints, or concerns and they would be listened to.

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure procedures to maintain safe practice were adhered to. Incidents were assessed and monitored by the manager to try to prevent and reduce potential re-occurrences or similar incidents.

People’s relatives had been asked their opinion of the quality of the service by the registered provider via surveys and the feedback used to help improve the service.