Life Path Trust Limited - 2 Ellys Road

We found the following examples of good practice.

A robust screening process was in place for all essential visitors to the home. This included completion of a health screening questionnaire, temperature check, evidence of a recent lateral flow test and a vaccination check for visiting professionals.

Infection prevention control (IPC) signs were clearly displayed throughout the home to advise people about the correct infection control procedures.

There was a plentiful supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) available. We saw PPE being correctly used by staff. Staff had completed training in infection control and hand washing.

The home was accessing regular COVID-19 testing for staff and residents. All staff had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The registered manager had effective systems to ensure compliance with national policy requirements in areas including COVID-19 testing and visiting arrangements.

The registered manager had reviewed and updated cleaning schedules including weekly “deep cleans” of the home. The registered manager had also identified areas of the home which required improvement to be in line with infection prevention and control guidance. They had sourced funding for this and were working with the provider and landlord to make necessary improvements.

2 Ellys Road is a respite service registered to provide accommodation to a maximum of ten people with learning disabilities for a short period of time. There were six people staying at the service at the time of our inspection.

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 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

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.

People felt safe at 2 Ellys Road and staff understood how to protect people from harm. Medicines and risks associated with people's care and support were well managed. Staff were recruited safely and received the training and support needed to carry out their roles safely and effectively.

Staffing levels were flexible to ensure staff were available at the times people needed. People's nutrition and hydration needs were met, and the staff team worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to ensure people received effective care.

People were supported by an established staff team who were friendly and caring. People’s rights were upheld and their independence prompted to assist people to achieve their goals and aspirations. 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.

People's care and support was based on their individual needs and choices. Care plans were personalised, through some were limited in detail. Action was taken to address this. People and relatives had no concerns but understood who to speak to if they wanted to make a complaint. People were actively supported to maintain links with the local community and follow their interests and hobbies.

People and relatives were very satisfied with the service provided and the way the home was managed. Effective systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and to support continual improvement. The registered manager and staff team were committed to delivery good quality person centred care.

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 30 August 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 reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

2 Ellys Road is a respite service registered to provide accommodation to a maximum of ten people with learning disabilities for a short period of time. There were four people staying at the service at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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 provider had aims and values for the service, which were clearly communicated with people who used the service. Our observations demonstrated this aim was being achieved. This was because the staff team demonstrated their commitment to continually supporting people to maintain and gain new skills to be as independent as possible.

People liked the staff who provided their care. Staff demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of people's needs and we saw they were skilled and confident in their practice. Staff behaviours and attitude to their work, showed they knew people they cared for well. People’s right to privacy was respected and people were treated in a dignified way.

People and their relatives were involved in the planning of their care. Staff had spent time with people and their families to get to know them. The information gathered was recorded in people’s care plans which detailed the goals people wanted to achieve during their stay at the service.

People and their relatives felt safe when they used the service. On the day of our visit there were enough staff on duty to support people safely. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks associated with people’s care. Detailed risk assessments and management plans were in place for staff to follow to keep people safe.

Procedures were in place to protect people from harm. The provider's recruitment procedures minimised, as far as possible, the risks to people safety. The environment was well maintained and regular checks of the equipment in use took place to make sure it was safe. Staff were knowledgeable of the evacuation procedures they needed to follow should an emergency occur.

Accident and incident records were completed and a system was in place to analyse the records to reduce further incidents occurring.

People’s medicines were stored and managed safely. People told us they enjoyed the food and staff demonstrated a good knowledge of people's nutritional needs, likes and dislikes.

People had been assessed and had capacity to make decisions. Staff had a good understanding of the principles of the MCA. The registered manager was aware of the process that needed to be followed if a person’s liberty was being deprived.

People were supported to follow their personal hobbies and interests and were encouraged to join in with social activities at the service. People maintained positive links with their community.

People and their relatives were happy with how the service was run and were encouraged to be involved in the running of the service. They had opportunities to put forward their ideas and suggestions to drive forward improvements. The management team were responsive to the feedback provided.

People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint and told us they comfortable doing so.

The registered manager felt supported by the senior leadership team. Staff enjoyed working at the service. They received regular supervision of their work and felt supported by their managers. Team meetings took place and staff confirmed they had opportunities to contribute items to the agenda.

The management team completed regular checks of different aspects of the service. This was to highlight any issues in the quality of the care provided, and to drive forward improvements.

We visited the service unannounced on a weekday morning. There were five people staying at the home at the time of our visit. We met and talked with them. We spoke to four members of staff.

We looked at health and care plans of three people who used the service. We saw a person centred approach had been used in drawing up care plans. Care plans were tailored to the needs of each individual. Before staying at the home an assessment had been completed which included the person's personal goals, support requirements, likes and dislikes. Care plans included information regarding health, diet, communication, and behaviour.

The service had a policy in place for safeguarding vulnerable adults. Staff told us and records showed that all staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable adults from abuse.

We saw staff had a good rapport with people who used services. People told us they got on well with staff. One person told us "I like it here." Another person said, "All the staff are great."

We saw that the service had good monitoring procedures in place. These ensured the service was meeting the required standards.

We visited the service unannounced on a weekday morning. There were eight people staying at the home at the time of our visit. We met and talked to four people using the service. The other four were taking part in external activities and we were unable to speak with them. We spoke to three members of staff during our visit.

We looked at health and care plans of three people who used the service. We saw a person centred approach had been used in drawing up care plans. This is an approach based on what each individual person wants and needs.

The service had a policy in place for safeguarding vulnerable adults. Staff told us and records showed that all staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable adults from abuse.

We observed staff had a good rapport with people who used services. People told us they got on well with staff. One person told us "We get on well with the staff. I like it here." One member of staff told us 'I love it here. The satisfaction I get from my job is immeasurable.'

We saw that the service had good monitoring procedures in place. These ensured the service was meeting the required standards.