About the service Bull Point House & Annex (hereafter referred to as Bull Point House) is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to five younger adults at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to five people. Bull Point House is a detached property in its own grounds set over two floors with views over the Tamar river. There is a separate self-contained building called “the annex” that has ground floor accommodation for one person in close proximity to the main building.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by exceptionally kind and caring staff. Staff went out of their way to ensure people were happy and could recognise their own goals and start to take steps towards achieving them. People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who were supported to reflect on their practice.
People had choices about what they did in a day, what they ate, and who supported them. People’s living skills were developed, and we saw clear evidence of the service encouraging people to become more independent. People were involved in the day to day running of the service, helping with cooking, shopping, admin tasks and environmental checks.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were recruited safely and given bespoke training, so they could develop the skills to meet people’s unique needs. Medicines were managed safely. Risks were assessed and reviewed regularly by staff who knew people well.
The service linked in with key health professionals to ensure people’s needs were being met. There was a positive behavioural support approach where interactions and behaviours were recorded and observed closely to look for themes and trends.
The service adapted the property around people to meet their individual needs. People’s rooms were highly personalised and comfortable. People enjoyed the food and could choose what they wanted to eat.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff understood consent and asked people how they would like support.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent. People went out when they wished to and took part in individual and community activities.
The service was well-led, by a management team that were respected and invested their time effort and resources of the provider into creating a balanced, happy life for the people living in the service. Staff told us they felt supported and the ethos of the service was person-focussed and open.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 23 June 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.