Archived: Care Management Group - 43 Florence Avenue

The service provides accommodation and care for up to seven people living with complex needs and learning disabilities. There were seven people using the service at the time of our inspection.

The service had 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.

People who used the service were safe. The home’s equipment was well maintained. Staff understood the importance of people’s safety and knew how to report any concerns they may have. Risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing had been assessed and plans were in place which instructed staff how to minimise any identified risks to keep people safe from harm or injury. The provider ensured these were kept up to date so that staff had access to the latest information about how to minimise identified risks. The premises and equipment were regularly serviced and checked to ensure these did not pose unnecessary risks to people. Staff were well informed about how to safeguard people from abuse and knew what actions to take if they had concerns.

There were enough staff on duty to keep people safe and meet their individual needs. The provider had a safe recruitment process to ensure they employed staff who had the right skills and experience and as far as possible were suited to supporting the people who used the service.

People received their medicines as prescribed. The provider had relevant protocols for the safe management of people's medicines.

Staff had the relevant skills they required to meet people's needs. They had access to effective training that equipped them with the skills they required to look after people. They had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. They supported people in accordance with the relevant legislation and guidance.

People had access to a variety of healthy and well balanced meals. Staff provided appropriate support to people so they had timely access to health care services.

Staff supported people in a kind and compassionate manner. They treated people with dignity and respect. They were knowledgeable about the needs of the people they supported and ensured that wherever possible people or their relatives were involved in decisions about their care. Relatives told us they were always made to feel welcome when they visited the home.

People's care plans reflected their individual needs and preferences. Their care was provided in a person centred manner. They had access to social activities of their choice. The provider encouraged feedback from people using the service and their relatives. There was an appropriate complaints procedure in place that people knew about and felt confident that the provider would respond appropriately to any concerns they raised.

The service had good leadership. There was a shared ethos of providing person-centred care. The registered manager supported staff to meet the standards expected of them which enabled them to deliver a good standard of care.

The provider had effective procedures for monitoring and assessing the quality of service that people received. The registered manager listened to people's feedback and used it to improve the quality of the service.

We undertook this unannounced focussed inspection of 43, Florence Avenue on 4 March 2016. We checked the provider had followed their plan and made the improvements they said they would make to meet legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for 43, Florence Avenue on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

43, Florence Avenue is a care home registered to provide care and support for up to six people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and autism. At the time of this inspection the home was providing care to four people.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At this inspection, we found the provider had followed their action plan, and legal requirements had been met. People’s risk assessments had been completely reviewed and revised in line with their needs. Appropriate risk management plans were in place for people to minimise identified risks. The registered manager had implemented a review process for all accidents and incidents that happened in the home to analyse and learn from these with the aim to reduce re-occurrences.

Staff told us they now received improved support through regular supervision of their work by their line managers. We saw evidence that supported this; we were shown staff supervision notes and a staff supervision timetable for the year ahead for all staff.

We saw that care plans had been reviewed appropriately and completely re-written together with the people concerned. Every person had up to date care plan objectives that could be reviewed as their needs changed.

The home’s records had been given a thorough overhaul and recording systems revised to ensure that they were more clear, accessible and up to date. This made the process of inspection easier and helped to ensure the registered manager and staff had improved access to important information. The provider had also reviewed and revised their quality assurance systems to ensure they identified any problems or issues that needed to be acted upon.

We saw documentation during the inspection that indicated co-operation and joint planning with other services. We spoke to three staff members who confirmed people's health, safety and welfare being protected.

From our observations and checks we saw that medicines were stored and administered safely. Staff had the appropriate medicine training so people who used the service were protected from any risks associated with medicines.

The home was well run, clean, well decorated and safe. People who used the service were involved in running the home that was appropriately designed and decorated for their needs.

We checked a variety of records relating to the home, including those of people who used the service. All were clear and well kept and relevant. We saw records were in accessible formats for people who have communication difficulties. This helped promote people's involvement and understanding of the service and their care. It made it easier for people to make choices and decisions about all aspects of their lives in the home.

Due to their needs, the majority of people we met were unable to share direct views about their care experiences. In order to make judgements about the care that people received, we observed care practices; interactions with staff and tracked three people's records of care. Case tracking means we looked in detail at the care people receive. We also looked at various records in relation to the staff and the way the home was being run.

We found that the staff understood people's care needs and knew how to protect them from risk and harm. There were positive relationships between people and staff.

One person told us they enjoyed various activities and regular holidays. They told us that they felt safe and could tell staff if they were unhappy about something.

Staff told us they had ongoing training and supervision to do their job and were supported well by the manager.

The provider had effective systems for assessing and monitoring the service they provided.