Active Support Clifton Ltd

Updated 9 June 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection, we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Active Support Clifton Limited is a ‘care home’ used as a respite service for people. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Active Support Clifton Limited is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 09 May 2023 and ended on 16 May 2023. We visited the service on 13 May 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since they registered with us. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 2 people and 3 relatives about their experiences of the service. We spoke to a support worker, the registered manager and the director of the service. We reviewed 2 people’s care records and medication records. We looked at 1 staff file in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures and quality assurance records were reviewed.

Updated 9 June 2023

About the service

Active Support Clifton Limited is a respite service where people stay for short periods of time of up to 14 days at a time. The service provides support to autistic people and people living with a learning disability. People have access to their own bedroom when they stay at the service and share communal areas such as a lounge, kitchen and garden. The service was supporting 10 people.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 3 people with personal care.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support:

Reasonable adjustments were made so that people could be fully involved in discussions about their support. Staff communicated with people in their identified and preferred methods.

People benefitted from an interactive and stimulating home environment and were supported not to feel isolated. People were supported to use the service with other people who they had built meaningful and lasting friendships with.

Staff supported people to be independent if this was their choice. The staff team had a focus on supporting people to learn and maintain new skills.

People were being supported to pursue their interests and achieve their aspirations and goals. The staff team were exceptionally effective at supporting people to do this.

The service gave people care and support in a clean environment which met their physical needs and people were able to personalise their bedrooms.

The service worked with people to plan for when they experienced periods of distress so that their freedoms were restricted only if there was no alternative.

Staff supported people safely with their medicines.

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.

Right Care:

Staff had the training and knowledge to support people effectively. This had led to some fantastic outcomes for people, such as being supported to take part in recreational pastimes they had not been able to do for some time.

People’s support plans fully reflected their range of needs and promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. Staff supported people to assess any risks they might face in a safe way and supported people to take positive risks.

Staff promoted people’s equality and diversity. People received kind and compassionate care which fully promoted their privacy and dignity.

Staff encouraged people to try new things which may enhance their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. People and their relatives told us about the significant and positive impact this has on them/ their family member.

Staff members knew people well and communicated with them in a kind and compassionate manner.

Right Culture:

People and those important to them were involved in planning their support. People received consistent support from a staff team who knew them well.

People received good quality care and support and were supported to lead inclusive and empowered lives. Staff were responsive to people’s needs and worked well together to achieve good outcomes for people. Feedback from people and relatives about the service was exceptionally positive.

The registered manager and staff team were passionate about continually improving the service and supporting people to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Staff worked hard to achieve good quality care and good outcomes for people. This had led to some amazing experiences for people who were truly at the centre of every aspect of their support when they stayed at the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 27 January 2022, and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.