Archived: Care Management Group- 283 Dyke Road

Care Management Group - 283 Dyke Road provides support for up to eight young adults who have learning disabilities. This is a supported living scheme where people live in a shared house under a tenancy agreement. Each person has their own room and shared communal facilities. People receive personal care or social support in order to promote their independence. The support provided is tailored to meet people’s individual needs and enables the person to be as autonomous and independent as possible. There were eight people living at the service at the time of our inspection. Not all received support with the regulated activity of personal care.

At the last inspection on 12 August 2014, the service was rated Good overall. At this inspection we found the service remained Good overall.

Care and support provided was exceptionally personalised and based on the identified needs of each individual. People’s care and support plans and risk assessments had been maintained and reviewed regularly. Staff were outstanding and went the extra mile to ensure people were supported to live a full and active life. They had found creative ways to enable people to live life to the full and continued do things they enjoyed. One member of staff told us, “We try to get people to help and do as much as they can.” People told us they had felt involved and listened to. One relative told us, “They have quite a full life. They are always doing things. They are teaching them skills to move onto more independent living.”

People and their relatives told us they felt people continued to be safe in the service. They knew who they could talk with if they had any concerns. They felt it was somewhere where they could raise concerns and they would be listened to. Systems in place to assess and manage risks had been maintained to provide safe and effective care. People continued to be supported by staff who had been through robust recruitment procedures.

Sufficient numbers of suitable staff had been maintained to keep people safe and meet their care and support needs. One relative told us, “It has improved a lot. There were a lot of changes of staff and now there is good continuity of staff. There is a deputy manager now and there is always someone there and good leadership.” One member of staff told us, “There is no problem with staffing there is a rota and the key worker for the tenant will carry out the activity plan and the shift leader will check if we are off.” Staff told us they received supervision and they were well supported. One member of staff told us supervision, “Works well, they ask how good we’ve done and what I need to do in the future with the service users and the goals for the year.” They had received training to develop their skills and knowledge by receiving training which helped them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. One member of staff told us, “We have a really brilliant team, with a low staff turnover. People stay and progress. The creativity of the team brings the best for service users.” Another member of staff told us, “The colleagues and the service users are good. This is a good environment it’s like a family here we support each other and if stuck we can ask a colleague with more experience.”

Where people were unable to make decisions for themselves this had been considered under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and appropriate actions continued to be followed to arrange meetings to make a decision within their best interests.

People continued to live in a service with a relaxed and homely feel. People were supported by kind and caring staff who treated them with respect and dignity. They were spoken with and supported in a sensitive, respectful and professional manner. One member of staff told us, “The culture is of openness and putting people first. Supporting people to achieve their best. Going over and above. There is a good feel to the house and people enjoy living here.” One person told us, “It’s good here they let me paint my room green my favourite colour. My keyworker is nice and I’m going on holiday to Disneyland. I’ve got a library for my DVDs. My favourite day is Friday because I go to the library and Starbucks and to Brighton with staff for a haircut and beard trim.” Another person told us, “I like my flat and I go to college and to get food at the shop.”

People told us the food was good and plentiful. Staff told us that an individual’s dietary requirements had been considered and people were regularly consulted about their food preferences. One person told us, “I do shopping and cooking a fry up. I’m going today to get a meal deal.” Healthcare professionals had been consulted with as required.

Relatives told us communication remained good. One relative told us, “Anytime there is a problem they ring up. They ask if they can do things, and if they are unwell.” People had regular opportunities to comment on the care they received. They were aware who to speak with if they had any concerns.

Staff told us that communication throughout the service continued to be good and included comprehensive handovers at the beginning of each shift and staff meetings. They confirmed that they felt valued and supported by the managers, who they described as very approachable. One member of staff told us, “The manager is really accessible. At staff meetings we can discuss different ways of working. It’s really working well here and really good communication.” Another member of staff told us, “She (The registered manager) is very honest and give back feedback and keeps people motivated. She is a very hands on manager. If activities change, for example if the group is going to the cinema she will help.” The registered manager told us that senior staff had maintained a range of internal audits, and records confirmed this. They operated an 'open door policy' so people living in the service, staff and visitors could discuss any issues they may have. One member of staff told us, “There is an open door policy and a really good team and you can ask anyone for anything.”

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We spoke with two people who use the service and two parents of people who use the service. People we spoke with told us they were happy with the care and support they received and that they were helped to be as independent as possible. One parent told us they were "very happy" and that "staff are very supportive and the manager is great." Another parent told us "It's been brilliant." A person who uses the service told us "I'm happy, staff are great."

During our visit we saw that people were engaged with activities in their local community and more widely outside of the organisation and that they were supported in the development of their social, communication and life skills. We saw that people who use the service attended various activities including college, swimming, a community allotment, yoga, local clubs and were members of music groups/bands.

Staff we spoke with told us they were happy with the quality of care and support they were able to give people and that they felt supported to do this. One worker told us "I came here with no care experience and the initial induction training was great. I really enjoy the work and the support I can give people out in the community so that they have a good quality of life."