Archived: Care Management Group - 37 Lewes Road

Not everyone living at 37 Lewes Road received the regulated activity although they received a level of support. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care. Personal care includes help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection three people were receiving personal care. 37 Lewes Road is staffed over the 24 hours and has an office on site.

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

People were protected from the risks of harm, abuse or discrimination because staff knew what actions to take if concerns were identified. There were enough staff, who had been safely recruited, working to provide the support people needed, at times of their choice. Staff understood how to support people safely and risk assessments provided further guidance about individual risks. Medicines were handled safely by trained staff.

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 received training and support that gave them the skills and competencies to support people effectively. Staff worked closely with health care professionals and people’s health and well-being needs were met. Peoples nutritional needs were considered and responded to.

Staff were caring and had developed positive trusting relationships with people. They treated people with respect and ensured their privacy and rights were protected. People were involved in the planning of their care and support and had an allocated key worker. Staff knew people well and understood the importance of providing individual person-centred care and supporting their independence.

People needs, and wishes were assessed and recorded. Support plans included various aspects of people's lives including life histories, their likes and dislikes and health conditions. People’s individual needs were responded to proactively. A complaints procedure was in place and people were listened to with any concern or complaint responded quickly. People had choice and control over how they spent their time and were encouraged to have active and enjoyable lives.

Staff and people were positive about the management of the service and told us the registered manager was available and approachable. The registered manager fostered an inclusive and open culture where people and staff were listened to and valued. Staff had regular meetings to discuss people's needs any changes and any suggestion for improving practice and outcomes for people. People’s voice was sought and given value and importance.

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 (12 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.

37 Lewes Road is registered to provide supported living accommodation for up to ten people who live with complex learning disabilities. There were ten people living at 37 Lewes road at the time of this inspection.

The home had a registered manager. 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 associated Regulations about how the service is run.

When we last inspected the service on 22 November 2013 we found the service was meeting all the required standards. At this inspection we found that the service continued to meet the regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

People felt safe living at 37 Lewes Road. Staff demonstrated they knew how to keep people safe and risks to people's health and safety were assessed and where possible risks were mitigated to help keep people safe. People's needs were met in a timely way by sufficient numbers of staff who were experienced and had the skills to meet people’s needs effectively. The provider had a robust recruitment processes which helped to make sure that potential staff were suited to work in a supported home environment. People were supported to take their medicines and there were checks in place to make sure staff worked in a way which supported good practice.

Staff were supported through individual supervision meetings with their line manager and told us they were well supported and felt valued and motivated. People received support to eat and drink a varied diet with sufficient amounts to maintain their health and wellbeing. People were supported to access a range of healthcare professionals including GP's, Hospital appointments and dental health care was maintained.

People were very positive about the staff and management team who they said were extremely caring and supportive. Staff knew people’s individuals' care and support requirements and routines very well and people were involved in the development and review of their care and support plans as much as they could.

The provider had systems and processes in place to receive feedback about the service from people who used the service, their family members and staff. There was a complaints policy in place however no complaints had been made. People told us they discussed anything that concerned them and things were resolved.

The managers and staff worked in a way that supported an open and transparent approach and people were central to everything at the service. People knew the manager and spoke with them regularly. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the care and support provided at the service and was keen to make continual improvements.

Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable concerning safeguarding vulnerable adults. We saw notices in easy read format telling people how to raise a concern if they needed to.

We examined the facilities at the home in relation to the obtaining, safe storage, administration and recording of medication. We found that there were appropriate systems in place and staff had been appropriately trained.

We spoke with staff and examined staff files. We found that the home carried out proper checks and had robust recruitment processes to ensure that people were supported by suitably qualified staff.

We looked at the home's complaints policy. People we spoke with told us they would have no problem in telling their keyworker or the manager if they had a complaint.

We found that people were involved in decisions about their life. People were involved in the decisions about the home. Care plans and risk assessments were in place and reflected people's needs and aspirations. The home was clean and comfortable and the food provided was varied and nutritious.

We saw that quality assurance systems were in place and were audited regularly to ensure that the service was run in the best interests of the people who used the service.