Athelstan Place

Updated 6 May 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Athelstan Place is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service’s manager registered with the Care Quality Commission had recently left. There was an interim manager in place who was experienced and knew the service well. They will be referred throughout the report as “the manager”.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period of notice of the inspection because some of the level of risk of the people living at the service who may be distressed by the presence of the inspector. This was to allow the service to ensure adequate measures were in place to support individuals at the service.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection and used this to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the nominated individual, the manager, two senior managers who supported the service, two deputy managers, and a support worker. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We observed how staff interacted with people in communal spaces within the home.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 6 May 2020

About the service

Athelstan Place is a care home providing personal care to up to six young people with mental health needs, learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. The home supports young people to transition from other settings, such as mental health hospitals, into long term living arrangements in the community. At the time of the inspection there were three people living full time in the home, one person was in hospital with their placement being held open for them. One person was being supported to transition into the home and was there part time.

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 that 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.

Athelstan Place is an adapted building situated in a residential area of Southampton, close to local amenities and public transport links. Accommodation is arranged over two floors with bedrooms grouped into “pods” of two rooms and a shared living space. There is also a shared living room, kitchen area and sensory room.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received personalised, safe care and support which met their needs and promoted positive outcomes. There were robust arrangements in place to assess and manage risks which were appropriate for the high level of needs of people living at the service.

There were suitable numbers of adequately trained and experienced staff to meet people’s needs. The service sought and followed professional guidance to ensure people’s needs were understood and support plans were based on best practice and national guidance.

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.

Staff were caring and compassionate. They treated people respectfully and with empathy, supporting their emotional needs and empowering them to lead in the development of their support plans.

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 communication needs were met, and staff supported people to understand their options and make choices.

People had access to activities and hobbies which reflected their interests and background. Staff supported them to keep in touch with those important to them and to develop new relationships in a safe way as possible.

The service had been through a period of change in leadership. The manager in post at the time of the inspection was overseeing the service in the interim, however they were experienced, knowledgeable and knew the service well. Staff were positive about the support they received and there was a clear management structure with delegated responsibilities which staff took seriously. There was clear governance and oversight of the service and a continuous improvement plan which was being prioritised and progressed by the manager and senior team.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 11 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 re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.