Archived: Dimensions 122 Carol Avenue

122 Carol Avenue is registered to provide accommodation for personal care for a maximum of four people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. There were three people living at the home on the day of our visit. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. 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 received care from staff who knew what they would do to protect a person from the risk of harm and how to report any concerns. People were supported by staff that were available and knew when they were needed. Staff spent time supporting people throughout the day and ensured that people’s questions or requests were met. People were helped with managing and monitoring their medicines and staff recorded when they had given them. .

Staff told us they knew how to look after the people that lived at the home. They had received training to understand people’s social and health needs and felt supported in their role. People’s decisions about their care and treatment had been recorded where they had been unable to make a decision on their own. Staff showed they listened and responded to people’s choice to choose or refuse care. Staff supported people who was being legally deprived of their liberty and understood the reasons for the restrictions and how to care for that person.

People told staff the meals they wanted to eat and helped to cook them. Food was available and staff ensured people were able to eat their meals with minimal guidance. People were supported to access health and social care professionals with regular appointments when needed and were supported by staff to attend these appointments.

People were comfortable in their home and spent time relaxing on their own, chatting to staff or other that lived at the home. Staff knew people’s individual preferences and respected their dignity when providing care. Families and visitors were welcomed and people maintained relationships with their friends and families.

People chose how they spent their days in their home and what they wanted to do. People raised their comments or concerns and these were addressed by staff or the registered manager. Staff also made suggestions on behalf of people at the home from their observations and these were listened to by the assistant or registered manager.

People knew the registered manager and assistant manager well and spent time with them in the home. The provider checked the home regularly to ensure people were well cared for. The management team had kept their knowledge current and they led by example and were involved in caring for people.

We found that the provider had systems in place to gain the consent to care and treatment of people who used the service. One person who used the service told us, "If I wasn't happy to do something I would say no."

We found that staff had an understanding of the needs of people who used the service. We found that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a safe way, which met people's individual care needs. People we spoke with were positive about the care they received. One person told us, "I like the staff, I go out a lot." One relative told us, "It's an excellent home, we are really pleased with the care."

We found that there was an effective recruitment process in place to ensure that staff had the skills to meet people's needs. We found that the provider worked well with other services to ensure the health and wellbeing of the people who used the service.

We found that systems were in place to effectively deal with complaints.

One relative told us, "The care staff are excellent, it's a real home from home."

We saw that people appeared relaxed and comfortable and they were being cared for in a way that they preferred. One person we spoke with said, "I get looked after", another person said, "All really nice".

Medicines were being appropriately stored and administered and all medicine records were accurate.

Staff employed at the service had access to further training and told us that they felt supported by their peers and the registered manager.

There were regular meetings for people who used the service and staff. This meant that the provider was able to review the quality of the service and to ensure appropriate care was being provided.