About the service Collinson Court is a residential care home providing personal care to seven adults with learning disabilities and autism at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 12 people. Collinson Court accommodates seven people in one adapted building which is divided into a number of separate apartments; these are either shared between two people or occupied by a single person.
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
Without exception, relatives and staff spoke positively about the service. Relatives told us their family member received excellent care which had a positive impact on their well-being and enhanced their lives. Relatives described the support provided by the staff team as life changing and brilliant.
People’s quality of life was enhanced by a positive approach to risk taking. People and relatives were involved in discussions about the management of risk and staff were empowered by the registered manager to think creatively about people’s potential and goals while maintaining people’s safety.
The staff team were trained and knowledgeable about how to keep people safe while also promoting independence and new experiences. Staff members worked with external healthcare professionals to reduce the amount of ‘as required’ medicines people were prescribed and this had a positive impact on people. Staff explored the reasons behind people’s anxieties and distress and involved them in making decisions about how their mental health was supported.
People were supported by a consistent staff team who knew them well. Staff had been safely recruited to ensure they were safe to work with vulnerable people.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service 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 for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
There was a strong, visible person-centred culture at the service. Equality and diversity were both recognised and embedded with staff practice. People were valued as individuals and staff knowledge of people’s individual preferences, needs and personalities was excellent.
Staff developed strong working relationship with people, which enhanced the level of trust people placed in the staff team. This enabled staff to provide innovate support that pushed the boundaries of people’s previous experiences.
There was a responsive approach to care planning and review and staff were kept updated with any changes to people’s support. The registered manager had responded creatively to complaints, and this had a positive impact of people’s experience of support.
Relatives and staff were extremely confident in the management of the service. There were consistently high levels of engagement with relatives who recognised the positive leadership of the registered manager. Feedback from people, relatives and staff was actively sought and they were given opportunities to share their views about the service. The registered manager used feedback as a tool to drive improvement acted to address any areas of concern.
Incidents involving the use of restriction or restraint were consistently reviewed to ensure people were supported safely. Information gathered from audits and behavioural analysis was used to promote risk taking rather than restrict new activities. The registered manager and senior staff carried out regular audits relating to the quality of care people received and had an open and transparent approach to continuous learning.
Staff felt supported and recognised the importance of reflecting on incidents and events to enhance learning and make improvements. The registered manager placed a strong focus on innovative person-centred care which was based on best practice.
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.
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 1 September 2017).
Why we inspected
To assure ourselves the service was meeting people’s needs, that staff had the necessary skills and experience and the management processes were effective we completed a focused inspection on the first day. We reviewed the key questions of Safe and Well Led only. However, as a comprehensive inspection was due, according to our reinspection timescales, we returned for a second day of inspection and reviewed the key questions of Effective, Caring and Responsive.
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.