SENSE - 5 Seafield Road

Sense 5 Seafield Road is a care home providing personal care and accommodation to six deaf blind people who also have a learning disability.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service had a strong, visible, person centred culture. Relatives and professionals praised staff and described them as exceptionally caring and compassionate. People and staff had built strong relationships, cared about each other and enjoyed spending time together. There was a happy atmosphere with lots of good humour. Staff were proud of people and celebrated their achievements. A relative captured the feedback we received from relatives and professionals when they said, “I would not hesitate to recommend Seafield Road as a place for others with learning and sensory disabilities.”

Staff supported and upheld people’s rights and advocated on their behalf. They were exceptionally skilled at communicating and involving people in decision making. People were supported to express their views, in ways relevant to their communication needs. People’s care was organised around their individual needs. Staff promoted people to be as independent as possible and upheld their right to privacy.

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.

People received effective care and consistent support from experienced staff with the right skills to meet their needs. Staff monitored people’s health and wellbeing and worked with other professionals to make sure people received the treatment they required.

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.

People received personalised care to meet their needs. They took part in activities and pursued their hobbies and interests. People enjoyed a variety of social activities which included in house activities, trips out, social events, holidays and family visits.

People were protected from abuse by staff who were aware of the different types of abuse, and ways to protect people. People received their medicines safely and on time.

The service was well-led by the registered manager and their deputy. The culture was open and promoted person centred values. People, relatives and staff views were sought and taken into account in how the service was run. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided and made improvements in response to their findings.

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 (Report published 14 February 2017.) At this inspection the rating has remained the same.

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.

Sense - 5 Seafield Road is a care home registered to provide personal care for up to six deafblind adults. The provider is Sense, a national charity organisation for children and adults who are deafblind. Sense use the term 'deafblind' to cover a wide range of people, some of whom may not be totally deaf or blind. Some people who lived there had profound and complex learning disabilities. Several people had autism, physical disabilities and were unable to verbally communicate with us.

The service has a registered manager. 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.

Personalised risk assessments balanced risks with minimising restrictions to people's freedom. Equipment was regularly serviced and tested as were gas, electrical and fire equipment. The service had enough staff to support people's care flexibly around their wishes and preferences.

People received their medicines safely and on time from staff who were trained and assessed to manage medicines safely. Accidents and incidents were reported and included measures to continually improve practice and reduce the risks of recurrence. Staff understood the signs of abuse and knew how to report concerns, including to external agencies. They completed safeguarding training and had regular updates.

People were relaxed and comfortable with staff who were attuned to their needs. Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy, they were discreet when supporting people with personal care. Staff developed positive, kind, and compassionate relationships with people.

People's care was individualised. Staff could recognise how a person was feeling from their non-verbal cues such as body language, gestures and vocal sounds and they responded appropriately. There was a relaxed, calm and happy atmosphere at the home with lots of smiles, good humour, fun and gestures of affection. Staff spoke with pride about the people they cared for and celebrated their achievements.

Each person had a comprehensive assessment of their health needs and care plans had detailed instructions for staff about how to meet those needs. Staff worked closely with local healthcare professionals such as the GP, local learning disability team and specialist professionals to improve people's health. Health professionals said staff were proactive, sought their advice and implemented it. People were supported to improve their health through good nutrition and to improve and retain their mobility through a regular exercise programme. People enjoyed their meals and ate well and lunchtime was a happy, sociable occasion.

People's rights and choices were promoted and respected. Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and involved person, family members and other professionals in 'best interest' decision making.

People appeared happy and content in their surroundings. Staff had the relevant knowledge and skills needed to support people and had ongoing professional development opportunities.

People pursued a range of hobbies, activities and individual interests. For example, reading and being read to, cooking, shopping, arts and crafts, and swimming. People were well known in their local community where they visited local cafes, pubs, shops and restaurants. The service had a wheelchair accessible minibus and people enjoyed trips to the cinema, beach and individual holidays.

People received a good standard of care because staff were led by an experienced registered manager and deputy manager. There was a clear management structure in place, staff understood their roles and responsibilities, were accountable for their actions and felt valued for their contribution. Staff were motivated and committed to ensuring each person had a good quality of life. The provider used a range of quality monitoring systems such as audits of care records, health and safety and medicines management and made continuous improvements in response to their findings.

We also spoke with four care workers, the registered manager and a community based health professional who supported people who lived at the home.

We found that care was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. For example, they were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition and dehydration, including those who needed support to eat and drink safely. There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. A health professional commented "A lovely home. Very person-centred. Very respectful staff. They know their clients and work well with them."

There was an effective complaints system. Comments and complaints people made or communicated through their behaviour were responded to appropriately.

People who used the service, staff and visitors were protected against the risks of unsafe or unsuitable premises. Maintenance and safety checks were carried out, with adaptations made to meet people's sensory and other needs.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. Care was person centred; care workers treated each person with dignity and respect and were knowledgeable about their needs. Each person who lived at the home was supported to lead an active and fulfilling life, and to be as independent as possible. When we accompanied one person into town, we saw they were very much part of the local community and were greeted wherever they went. We saw people were encouraged to help with household tasks such as cooking, shopping and to clean and tidy their rooms.

People were supported to have their medicines safely and were protected from the risk of infections because the home was clean and good infection control measures were in place. Records seen showed detailed care plans and risk assessments were in place to meet people's needs which were reviewed and updated regularly as needed.

We found that 5 Seafield Road were compliant with the six outcomes we inspected.