31 October 2019
During a routine inspection
Meadow View is registered to provide accommodation and personal care, for one person with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. Mrs Jacqueline Douglas is the registered provider of Meadow View and also the main carer. She and her husband live with the person supported. It is run as an ordinary domestic household. There was no requirement for this service to have a registered manager in place. Meadow View is one of a small number of houses situated in the hamlet of Gullom Holme, nine miles east of Penrith which is the nearest large town.
One person lived at Meadow View when we inspected. The person had lived with the registered providers for over 30 years, and was viewed as a member of the family.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The registered provider 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.
The person was safe and protected from abuse because the registered provider assessed and managed risk. The home was run as a family home by the registered provider and her husband. There were no other staff employed and the registered provider was the person’s main carer. They met the person’s care and support needs, kept them safe, managed medicines and practised good infection control.
The registered provider had the skills, knowledge and experience to provide good care. They helped the person to have maximum choice and control of their life and supported them in the least restrictive way possible. They assessed the person’s capacity to make decisions and supported them with decision making. The person saw healthcare professionals promptly to assist their health and wellbeing. The registered provider made sure the person’s nutritional needs were met. The person was involved in choosing meals and snacks. The design of the home met the person’s needs.
The registered provider continued to meet the person’s needs and preferences. The person was involved in planning their care and encouraged to make decisions. They said they were happy with their care. We saw the person enjoyed a variety of social and leisure activities and was fully involved in the extended family activities. The registered provider had assessed the person’s specific communication needs and were familiar with the ways they communicated. The person told us they knew how to make their concerns known and were confident that any problems or complaints raised would be listened to.
The providers had a good understanding of protecting and respecting people's human rights. They understood the person's needs around privacy and dignity. The person told us their bedroom had been decorated the way she had chosen. We saw it was personalised with evidence of the interests she enjoyed. The person no longer had blood relatives. However, they were treated as and felt they were part of the provider’s family.
We found the providers were open and transparent. They focused on the needs of the person who was placed at the centre of all decisions around their support. The providers always asked the person for their views and gave them time and support to express their wishes. The person clearly felt able to give their opinions and make choices about their life. The registered provider understood and acted on legal obligations, including conditions of CQC registration and those of other organisations.
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:
At the last inspection the service was rated good (published 08 March 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.
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.