26 and 30 November 2015
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 26 and 30 November 2015. This visit was unannounced. We had not carried out an inspection of this service since it had been registered with a new provider. We had inspected this service on 03 September 2013 under its previous provider organisation and found they were meeting all of the expected standards of care.
Edward Avenue is a home which provides accommodation and care for 4 people who have a learning disability or an autistic spectrum disorder. The home was fully occupied at the time of our inspection.
The home 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 told us they felt safe living at Edward Avenue. Staff received safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and report concerns within their organisation and to appropriate authorities. Risks associated with the delivery of care had been identified and alternative activities were identified to minimise those risks yet still captured the essence of the person’s wishes. People were involved in the assessment and planning of their needs. All assessments and care plans were reviewed and updated involving the people and their families.
The registered manager, staff and people ensured there were sufficient staff to support people with their care and social activities. Staff were deployed specifically at the times when people needed to be supported. This flexible approach meant staff put in extra hours to ensure people were fully able to involve themselves in activities away from the home. We saw how staff went the extra mile to support people by taking them to events when they were off duty. Staff received suitable training and support to enable them to deliver the care required for people. Specific training was available to meet the identified specialist needs of people.
A robust recruitment process was in place to ensure staff were suitable and had the right skills and experience. People were involved in the recruitment process and identified characteristics and interests they were looking for in the people who were going to support them.
Medicines were safely administered and were stored in appropriate secure areas within the home. Staff received appropriate training to enable them to give medicines competently. They were observed and assessed to ensure they were safe to administer medicines.
People were involved in maintaining the safety of their home. One person had chosen to be involved in carrying out the routine weekly fire alarm tests.
People’s care plans were personalised and contained detailed information about each person’s likes, dislikes, history and preferences. People received effective care as their needs had been assessed prior to admission. Care plans were written to identify needs of people and contained sufficient information for staff to deliver care accordingly
People chose their meals and were supported to prepare their own and others meals in safety. They said the food was nutritious and they received support on how much they chose to eat. People were supported to maintain good health and had good access to GPs and other healthcare specialists.
The service had a strong and visible person centred culture which gave people the confidence to tell staff about how they wanted to be supported. Staff and the registered manager spoke highly of their desire to involve people in developing and maintaining their care plans
People told us about the outstanding way they were supported by staff and how staff were prepared to go the ‘extra mile’ to ensure people’s needs were met. We heard from people, their relatives and staff about the commitment and dedication staff had to support people in the way they wished to be supported. We also heard how much people had achieved to develop independence and involvement in their care.
People told us how staff understood their social and cultural values and beliefs and how they were encouraged with their diverse preferences. Their care was planned with them and they felt they were listened to and valued.
The service was flexible and responded to people’s individual preferences and needs. They found creative ways to fulfil people’s wishes to live as full a life as possible. People were involved in their local community and were encouraged to belong to other services outside of the home.
The registered manager sought the opinions of people and staff regularly on aspects of care and improving service delivery and the environment. People regularly gave feedback and identified things they would like to change or new activities they wanted to try. Staff were encouraged to think of ways in which to enhance people’s lives and told us they were listened to by the registered manager when they made suggestions.
The service was well led and there was a positive culture which placed people at the centre of care they received. Relatives were kept up to date on events in people’s lives and were encouraged to maintain their relationships with people. Auditing systems were in place to ensure high quality care was delivered to people. The registered manager ensured other essential audits of health & safety and the environment were regularly carried out.