We carried out a review of the data available to us about Elm Road on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Elm Road, you can give feedback on this service.
Elm Road is a residential care home that accommodates up to two people living with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were two people living at the home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from the risks of ill-treatment and abuse as the staff team had been trained to recognise potential signs of abuse and understood what to do to if they suspected wrong doing.
The provider had assessed the risks to people associated with their care and support. Staff members were knowledgeable about these risks and knew what to do to minimise the potential for harm to people.
People received safe support with their medicines by staff members who had been trained and assessed as competent. If errors were made the provider had systems in place to ensure the person was safe and lessons were learnt to minimise the risk of reoccurrence.
Staff members followed effective infection prevention and control procedures when supporting people.
The provider had systems in place to encourage and respond to feedback from people or those close to them. The provider, and management team, had good links with the local communities within which people lived.
The management team and provider had systems in place to identify improvements and drive good care.
The provider had kept the CQC informed about significant events at Elm Road.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
Right support:
• Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and independence
Right care:
• Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights
Right culture:
• Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.
This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were supported in a small home based in a residential area with access to community facilities. 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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 20 July 2019).
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to management of incidents and medicines. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
The overall rating for the service has remained the same, good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Elm Road on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.
Elm House is a small residential care home that provides personal care for people with learning disabilities and/or autism. At the time of the inspection one person was living at the home.
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.
The service was a small home, registered for the support of one person. The building fitted into the residential area. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The person told us they felt safe with staff. Staff could tell us how to deliver safe care and minimise risks to protect the person from harm. The person received their medicines as prescribed. There were detailed risk assessments in place and sufficient staff on duty to support the person.
The person was 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. Staff had a range of skills and knowledge to meet the person’s needs and received relevant training and support. The service worked with other social and health care professionals to ensure the person’s needs were met.
Staff were kind and caring and knew the person well. Staff respected the person’s privacy and dignity and encouraged their independence. The person was included in decisions about their care and daily routine.
The service was responsive to the needs of the person living at the home. Care was tailored to the individual’s needs and regular feedback was sought from the person. Staff had a flexible approach and adapted the care to the person’ s needs and choices.
The service was well led, the person and staff were positive about the registered manager and their approachability. Audit systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service, although some improvements were required. Staff were knowledgeable about their roles and felt supported.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for the person using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. The person’s support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 09 July 2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a scheduled inspection based on the provider’s registration date.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk