Archived: Abbotsford

Abbotsford is a care home registered to accommodate a maximum of eight people with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection eight people were living at the home.

There was a registered manager employed at the home. 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 received very positive feedback from people and their relatives regarding living at Abbotsford. Relatives said, “It’s absolutely marvellous”.

People told us they felt safe at the home. Staff spoke knowledgeably on how to prevent, identify and report abuse and the provider had a system in place to protect people from the risk of harm.

People’s needs were assessed and they were actively involved in planning and reviewing their care needs. We observed people sought staff out to chat and talk to and staff and people were relaxed with each other and spent time chatting and spending quality time with each other. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and knew how people preferred to be supported.

Staff supported people in accordance with their wishes, protecting people’s privacy and maintaining their dignity.

Staff told us they received training, which they found useful and effective. Staff received detailed, regular supervision sessions but had not received an annual appraisal during 2015. This was an area for improvement for the provider.

There were robust recruitment systems in place and staff told us they felt very well supported to carry out their role.

People’s medicines were securely stored and managed and people were supported to take their prescribed medicines appropriately.

People were supported to take part in a wide range of activities, hobbies and work placements to maintain their independence and promote a healthy lifestyle. People could choose where they spent their time.

Complaint forms were available in the home in an ‘easy read’ format for people to use if they wanted to express a concern. People said they would be happy to raise any issues with any members of staff and felt they would be taken seriously and listened to.

People told us they felt the service was well led, with a clear management structure in place.

The provider was developing a revised quality assurance system to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.

We spoke with most people who lived at the home and one of their relatives. We observed the support people received in communal areas, reviewed records and spoke with the manager and two support workers.

Before people received support staff asked for their consent and acted in accordance with their wishes. Where people were unable to give valid consent, the provider acted in accordance with legal requirements.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. They told us they were happy with their support and that staff promoted their independence.

People, staff and visitors were protected against the risks of unsafe or unsuitable premises. We observed that the home was clean and neatly decorated. One person commented, 'The house is safe and comfortable'. The premises met the needs of people currently living in the home. However, there was a small step at the front entrance and the downstairs toilet was not readily accessible for people with mobility needs.

There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. One person said, 'There is always someone to talk to'.

The provider monitored the quality of the service and managed risks to people's health, safety and welfare.

We looked at the care plans for three of the people living in the home.

People's rights and independence was respected and they were able to comment on the service provision. Staff spoke to people politely and ensured that they were happy with decisions made. Individuals were able to maintain significant relationships with loved ones.

Care plans lead from an assessment of need and were person centred. The plans included acceptable risks that people took to maintain their independence. Regular reviews of care provided were carried out and individuals were involved in this process.

Staff had been recruited in a safe manner, with all relevant checks being carried out prior to them starting work. Staff had received suitable induction and ongoing training and were supervised regularly.

The home had effective quality assurance systems in place and listened and responded to any improvements that were suggested.