Archived: Cherry Tree House

People's experience of using this service:

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways. There was a strong focus on promoting choice, control and independence. People's support focused on taking positive risks to ensure they had as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become independent.

People received good care and support which met their individual needs. A relative told us, "[Name of person] is very well looked after; the staff are so caring. It’s a lovely home.”

People were supported in a safe environment. Risks to people's health and safety were assessed and mitigated. The service learnt lessons and improved the safety of the service following any accidents or incidents. There were enough staff to ensure people received their required care and support. People received their medicines in line with their prescription, but records in relation to medicines prescribed for use ‘as and when required’ lacked detail. The provider sent evidence after the inspection about how this had been addressed.

Staff were kind and caring and treated people very well. Staff knew people well and had developed positive relationships with them.

Staff had received bespoke training to enable them to care for the individuals living within the home. 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 supported this practice.

The service was well managed. The management team had a clear focus and worked alongside staff when support was needed. Staff told us they felt the management team was working with them to ensure the quality of the service was maintained and continuously improved.

Rating at last inspection: Good (published November 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

Cherry Tree House is a home registered to provide accommodation and personal care for a maximum of six people. The home specialises in providing care for people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder.

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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe living at Cherry Tree House. Staff were able to recognise potential signs of abuse and had received safeguarding training so they understood the appropriate policies and procedures in order to help keep people safe.

Staff were recruited safely and there were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people’s needs.

Medicines were stored and administered safely and appropriately and staff who were responsible for administering medicines had been trained to do so.

Staff told us they felt supported and we saw staff received regular training, supervision and appraisal.

Where people lacked capacity and were being deprived of their liberty, the registered manager had made appropriate applications to the supervisory body in order for this to be authorised. The registered manager acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The design and layout of the home was appropriate to meet people’s needs and the home was fresh and clean with a homely feel.

People told us they liked their support workers and relatives told us staff were caring. We observed a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere in the home and people’s privacy and dignity were respected. Mutual respect was evident between support workers and people living at Cherry Tree House.

People were given choices throughout the day and we saw staff sought consent from people prior to providing care and support.

Care and support was provided in a person centred manner. Care needs were regularly reviewed and people were involved in their care planning. People told us they could make their own choices.

The home was well led by a management team that communicated well to people who lived at the home and to staff. Staff were motivated to provide good care to people.

Regular staff meetings and house meetings were held and the registered manager sought feedback from people.

Audits took place regularly and these resulted in actions, in order to continually improve the quality of care and support offered at Cherry Tree House.

We saw that the provider had completed assessments of people's needs and had written plans of care with specialist involvement where necessary. Risks assessments balanced a consideration of the right to freedom and choice against safety.

People were involved in their day to day care. They were consulted in reviews, in house meetings and in day to day conversations about choices and decisions. They were treated with respect.

The home handled medication safely.

We spoke with three members of staff. They told us that they had good support in their role. There were sufficient staff on duty to ensure people could live full and interesting lives according to their preferences.

The home had a system in place to monitor its performance. The home also carried out audits and other safety checks so that it could maintain and improve the quality of care people received.