Archived: Simmins Crescent/Whitteney Drive

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.

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

People were safe when they used services at Simmins Crescent/Whitney Drive. Staff knew how to keep people safe from avoidable harm and abuse. Risks associated with people’s care had been assessed and regularly reviewed to reflect the support people needed to be safe. People’s medicines were managed safely.

Staff had the training and experience they required to provide support that met people’s needs. They supported people to meet their nutritional needs and access health care professionals when required.

Staff were kind and compassionate. They treated people with dignity and respect. They promoted people’s right to privacy and enabled them to be involved in decisions about their care.

People’s care was tailored to their individual needs and their care plans reflected their preferences, choices and needs. People had access to a range of activities and were supported to follow their interests.

There was strong leadership at the service. Staff across all tiers of the service had the support they required to fulfil their role. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of care people received and used this to improve the standard of care.

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.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensured people who used the service can live as full a life as possible and achieved the best possible outcomes that included control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people 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 to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 09 January 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.

We last inspected the service in 2013 and found that the service was meeting the requirements of the regulations.

Simmins Crescent/Whitteney Drive provides accommodation for up to 15 adults who need personal care and support. The service provides care for people who have a learning disability and sensory impairment across three bungalows. At the time of our inspection there were 15 people using the service.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

There were systems in place to keep people safe. There were good systems for making sure that staff reported any allegation or suspicion of poor practice and staff were aware of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse. Staff were confident to report through safeguarding or whistleblowing procedures.

Potential risks to people had been assessed, such as risks associated with people's health conditions and the environment. Risk assessments were reviewed and updated to reflect changes in people's needs and abilities.

The provider had ensured that effective systems were in place to ensure medicines were stored, administered and managed in a consistent and safe manner.

Staff received training and support that provided them with the knowledge and skills required to provide people with effective care. We observed staff were confident and skilful in their interactions with people and demonstrated that they fully understood their roles and responsibilities.

People were supported to meet their healthcare and well-being needs and encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staff made appropriate use of a range of health professionals and followed their advice when provided.

We found the requirements to protect people under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards had been followed. Staff sought people's consent before supporting them and respected their right to decline care.

Throughout our inspection we saw examples of good care that helped to ensure people felt included and consulted in their care. People and, where appropriate, relatives were involved in the planning of the care. People were treated with dignity and respect and encouraged to maintain and develop their independence.

Staff working in the service understood the needs of the people who lived there. We saw that staff and people communicated well with each other and that people were enabled to make choices about how they lived their lives.

Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported and demonstrated that they knew their likes, dislikes and interests. Care plans had been developed to focus on people as individuals and described their preferences, choices and how they wanted their care to be provided. People were provided with a range of activities to pursue their individual interests and hobbies.

The registered manager assessed and monitored the quality of care and provided clear leadership to the staff team. All areas of the service were quality assured through a series of internal audits. People, their relatives and staff were supported to share their views about the service and these were used to develop and bring about improvements within the service.

We spoke with five people who use the service and spoke with six members of staff. We found staff use a range of techniques to aid choice making including; giving clear information, checking understanding, allowing sufficient time for a response and helping people to identify how a particular choice might affect them.

We noted that people have free access to the gardens. Garden paving and surfaces have been chosen so that texture can aid navigation and help people orientate themselves as well as adding interest. In places raised beds have been used to enable people to have easier access to the plants many of which have tactile and aromatic attributes. The bedrooms of people were well appointed with peoples' choice of d'cor, furnishings, pictures and ornaments.

We found people are involved in the day to day decisions of their daily lives and people's decisions to take part or not take part in activities are recorded. People are encouraged to be independent and support plans provide clear guidance for staff as to the support individual people need in all aspects of their daily lives. We found where people do not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves they are supported by relatives or in some instances an independent advocate. We found legislation in place to support people who do not have the capacity to make decisions is implemented and followed.

We found people's individual health, cultural and religious needs, along with their personal preferences are noted and considered when compiling menus and shopping lists. We found care is taken to meet all individual needs and to give people as much choice as possible about what, when and where they eat. People are involved in the planning and purchasing of groceries and are asked at each mealtime what they wish to eat.

Throughout the visit we found staff treated residents and their belongings with respect and found staff were mindful of people's privacy and took care not to disclose personal information about individuals when it might be overheard. We also noted that staff members clearly demonstrated an understanding of the individuals they were supporting, their individual support needs and the strategies most likely to be beneficial in enabling them to make choices and live as independent and as full a life as possible.

People's medication is managed well and support plans include information about the medication people take and include how staff monitor people's health and medication.

People's equality and diversity were recognised and supported. Staff supported people to attend religious and social events within the local community. Staff were able to communicate with people in their first or preferred language, which included English and Gujarati. People were supported by staff to be independent.

Our observations of staff interactions with people and our discussions with staff showed staff had a good understanding of people's need.

Records including support plans were comprehensive and regularly reviewed and provided comprehensive information for staff as to the support and care each person required. Staff received ongoing support and training which enabled them to meet the needs of people.

The service had a robust quality assurance system which ensured all areas of the service were monitored and any shortfalls noted were addressed. People using the service were involved in day to day decisions about their care and support.