30 April 2015
During a routine inspection
This was an unannounced inspection that took place on 30 April 2015. 83 -87 Wallace Crescent provides self-contained accommodation for up to eight people with support and personal care for adults with moderate to severe autism and communication difficulties. At the time of this inspection there were four people living in the home. Each person received continuous one to one support from staff and needed to be supervised whenever they went out.
The service has a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 the associated Regulations about how a service is run.
Because of people’s communication difficulties we were only able to have limited discussions with them. We relied mainly on our observations of care and our conversations with people’s relatives and staff to understand their experiences.
Relatives and health and social care professionals told us they felt people were safe living at Wallace Crescent. Staff knew how to help protect people if they suspected they were at risk of abuse or harm. Risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing had been assessed and staff knew how to minimise and manage identified hazards in order to help keep people safe from harm or injury.
There were sufficient levels of trained and well supported staff to meet people’s needs. Relatives told us, and we saw staff had built up good working relationships with people. Staff were familiar with people’s individual needs and the choices made about their care.
People received their medicines as prescribed and staff knew how to manage medicines safely. Staff had a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS provides a process to make sure people are only deprived of their liberty in a safe and correct way. There were policies in place in relation to this and the service had ensured the local authorities had carried out the appropriate assessments for all the people who might have been deprived of their liberty for their own safety and protection.
Staff supported people to make choices and decisions about their care wherever they had the capacity to do so.
People had a varied and nutritious diet and choice of meals. They were supported to have a balanced diet which helped them to stay healthy.
Staff supported people to maintain health through regular monitoring by healthcare professionals. Relatives told us staff were kind and caring. We saw they treated people with dignity, respect and compassion. People were encouraged to maintain relationships that were important to them. There were no restrictions on when their friends and relatives could visit the home and staff made all visitors feel welcome.
The service promoted a culture of learning and individuality. People had access to their local community and could choose to participate in a variety of in-house and community based social activities. We also saw staff encouraged and supported people to be as independent as they could and wanted to be. Care plans were in place which reflected people’s specific needs and their individual choices. Relatives of people were involved in reviewing their relations’ care plans and we saw people were supported to make decisions about their care and support.
People using the service and their relatives were encouraged to give feedback on the service. There was an effective complaints system in place. Relatives said the registered manager encouraged feedback and sought to develop and improve the service for people. Staff told us they felt well supported and enjoyed working in a positive environment. Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities they had a good understanding of the ethos of the service.
Systems were in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service and to get the views of people about the service. They have helped to make improvements to the service.