Lowenac

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen ' Registering the Right Support' CQC policy.

What life is like for people using this service:

¿ The person was supported by staff who were caring, compassionate and treated them with the utmost dignity and respect. Any concerns or worries were listened and responded to and used as opportunities to improve.

¿ The person received person centred care and support based on their individual needs and preferences. Staff were aware of their life history and their communication needs. They used this information to develop positive, meaningful relationships with them.

¿ The provider ensured the person had regular staff meaning the person and staff were able to build positive relationships. The person was supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff understood and felt confident in their role.

¿ Risks of abuse to people were minimised because the service had robust safeguarding systems and processes. Staff demonstrated a good awareness of each person's safety needs and how to minimise risks for them.

¿ People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff understood and felt confident in their role. People’s health had improved because staff worked with a range of healthcare professionals and followed their advice.

¿ Where people lacked capacity, staff worked with the local authority to make sure they minimised any restrictions on people’s freedom for their safety and wellbeing.

¿Staff spoke positively about working for the provider. They felt well supported and that they could talk to management at any time, feeling confident any concerns would be acted on promptly. They felt valued and happy in their work.

¿ Audits were completed by staff, the registered manager and provider to check the quality and safety of the service.

¿ Lowenac is a leased property on a long-term basis by Green Light PBS Limited who run a number of services within Cornwall. There is a clearly defined management structure and regular oversight and input from senior management. The ethos of the service is ‘Empowering people to lead a lifestyle they are proud of.’ Staff were aware and supported people to achieve this ethos.

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

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published August 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection the service remained Good

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

The service has a registered manager in place. 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.

We met with one person who appeared to be settled in their home. We spoke with a relative who shared with us their positive experiences of the support they and their family member received from the service. We had Feedback from one professional who was complimentary about the support the person received from the staff at the service.

The person who currently lived at Lowenac was well cared for, relaxed and comfortable in their home. The person readily approached staff when they wished to be supported and their privacy was consistently respected. A relative shared with us positive examples of the care and support their family member received from the service and commented. “I am more than pleased with them.”

The person showed us around their home and told us they were “happy” at Lowenac. The person moved around their home as they wished, interacting with staff and smiling and laughing. Staff were attentive and available. Staff encouraged the person to engage in meaningful activities and spoke in a friendly and respectful manner. Staff knew the person they supported extremely well and spoke of them with affection.

Staff had high expectations for people and were positive in their attitude to support. Staff were respectful of the fact they were working in people’s homes. The service offered flexible support to people and were able to adapt in order to meet people’s needs and support them as they wanted. Staff rotas were flexible to allow people to take part in activities they enjoyed. For example, we saw staff shift patterns were altered to enable people to be supported when the wished to go out for the evening.

The registered manager explained the in-depth transition work that took place with the person, their relatives and health and social care professionals. This work took time, and ensured that the transition for the person from their previous home to Lowenac was undertaken sensitively. This was completed at the persons pace.

The service was also new to the community. The registered manager provided the local community with information to explain what their organisation was about. The registered manager is a visible face in the community and has met with neighbours so that they know who to contact if they had any queries or concerns.

Care plans were informative and contained clear guidance for staff. They included information about people’s routines, personal histories, preferences and any situations which might cause anxiety or stress. Details of how the person wished to be supported with their care needs were personalised and provided clear information to enable staff to provide appropriate and effective support. The person’s care plan was presented in written and pictorial formats to enable them to read their plan and be involved in any changes or updates.

Risk assessments were in place for day to day events and for one off activities. Where activities were done regularly risk assessments were included in people’s care documentation. People had access to a range of activities. These were arranged according to people’s individual interests and preferences. Staff identified with people their future goals and aspirations and worked together to achieve them.

Incidents and accidents were recorded. These records were reviewed regularly by all significant parties in order that trends were recognised so that identified risks could be addressed with the aim of minimising them in the future.

Where people did not have the capacity to make certain decisions, the service acted in accordance with legal requirements under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff had a good understanding of the principles of the legislation and training was updated regularly.

Support was provided by a small, consistent, motivated and well trained staff team. Staff were well supported through a system of induction and training. Staff told us the training was thorough and gave them confidence to carry out their role effectively. The training was relevant to the needs of the people they supported. New employees undertook a rigorous induction programme which prepared them well for their roles.

The staff team were supported by the registered manager and received regular supervision and staff meetings. These were an opportunity to share any concerns or ideas they had with the staff team and management.

The staff team were supportive of each other and worked together to support people. Staffing levels met the present care needs of people that lived at the service.

People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns and make complaints. There were plenty of opportunities for people, relatives and staff to voice how they felt about the service and any concerns they had.

As the service was newly registered they were actively seeking people’s, their relatives and views from the community. Surveys were circulated to all stakeholders and visitors were asked for their feedback. Families were kept informed of any changes in people’s needs or appointments.

The service was well led and all of the staff were highly motivated and keen to ensure the care needs of the person they were supporting were met. Staff told us, “We are here for (person’s name) and the managers support us to support (person’s name)” Staff told us how much they enjoyed their job and they could not identify any areas for improvement.

The management team had a clear set of values which was also apparent in our discussions with staff. Staff told us they felt involved in the development of the service and that management listened to any ideas and suggestions they had and took them on board. The registered manager told us “I am so proud of the team and (person’s name). Not only has the team grown and developed but so has (person’s name). It’s brilliant. We want (person’s name) to have the best life (they) can.”

There were clear lines of accountability and responsibility at Lowenac and at Greenlight. The organisational values were embedded in working practices and staff worked to provide a service which was designed around the needs of the individual.