Consensus Support Services Limited - Moor Lane

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 24 August 2015.

Consensus Support provides accommodation for up to eight people who require personal and/or nursing care.

At the time of our visit there were seven people living in the home. All rooms are for single occupancy and have en-suite facilities. The home is situated in a quiet country road in Backwell.

There is 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.

The registered manager and provider regularly assessed and monitored the quality of care provided to people. Continual improvements to care provision were made which showed the registered manager and provider were committed to delivering high quality care.

There was a positive atmosphere within the home and people were very much at the heart of the service. People and relatives were involved in the care planning. Staff implemented the service’s core values to ensure people had a meaningful and enjoyable life. People were involved in the assessment and review of their care. Staff supported and encouraged people to access the community and participate in activities, including paid and voluntary work placements that were important to them.

All of the staff received regular training that provided them with the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs in an effective and individualised manner. People’s health and wellbeing needs were closely monitored and the staff worked very well with other professionals to ensure these needs were met. A flexible approach to mealtimes was used to ensure people could access suitable amounts of food and drink that met their individual preferences. This helped people to maintain a healthy lifestyle and encouraged their independence.

Staff sought people’s consent before they provided care and support. However, some people who used the service were unable to make certain decisions about their care. In these circumstances the people’s rights were protected because the home used appropriate guidance and legislation Where people had restrictions placed upon them to keep them safe, the staff made sure people’s rights to receive care that met their needs and preferences were protected. Where people were restricted to promote their safety, the staff continued to ensure people’s care preferences were respected and met and that they were supervised when required.

Any risks to people were identified, managed and reviewed and the staff understood how to keep people safe. There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs and promote people’s safety and independence. Systems were in place to protect people from the risks associated from medicines, incidents and emergencies. People received their medication safely in the privacy in their own rooms by suitably trained staff.

People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect and staff promoted people’s independence and right to privacy. The staff were extremely committed to their work roles and provided people with a positive care experience. They ensured people’s care preferences were met and gave people opportunities to try new experiences.