Archived: Speciality Care (Rest Homes) Limited - 15 Sussex Road

15 Sussex Road is a semi-detached house in Southport situated close to the town centre and its amenities. It is a specialist residential college service providing personal and nursing care to one person aged 18 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to three people. It is part of Arden College that provides specialist further education for young people aged 16-25 years of age with learning disabilities. Accommodation can be term time only or for fifty-two weeks a year.

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 building was a semi-detached house, which 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

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.

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 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.

The service was safe. Risks to people’s health and safety were assessed and mitigated. Medicines were managed in a safe way.

People were supported to take positive risks to ensure they were able to access the community and live fulfilling lives. Staff knew people's identified risks well and were able to support people during an activity and when out in the community in a safe way. Systems and processes were in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Staff received safeguarding training and had access to relevant information and guidance about how to protect people from harm.

There were enough staff deployed to ensure people received appropriate care and support. Staff worked with the person in the service and at the college. This provided the person with consistency.

Staff were familiar with the level of support people required as well as being familiar with their likes, dislikes and preferences. Staff had developed effective communication with a person, using their particular signs and symbols. This meant that the person was able to make their own decisions about their support; staff ensured they were supported to make choices on a day to day basis. This helped the person to plan their lifestyle. People had choice and control over their meals, in accordance with their wishes and preferences.

People were supported to be as independent as possible with aspects of daily living. Staff supported people to access activities and amenities in their local area. People were supported to maintain good health. Regular appointments were made with local dentists and health clinics.

Family members were kept up to date with the well-being of their relative. They were in regular contact with staff and were able to visit the service when they wanted to. They spoke positively about the service provided.

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 28 October 2016).

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.

We gave the provider 48 hours' notice that we would be coming as service is a small home for adults with adults with learning disabilities and we wanted to be sure someone would be in.

15 Sussex Road is a semi detached house in Southport situated close to the town centre and its amenities. It is part of Arden College that provides specialist further education for young people aged 16-25 years of age with learning disabilities. 15 Sussex Road is registered to provide accommodation for up to three adults aged over 18 who attend the college. Accommodation can be term time only or outside of term time. At the time of our inspection there was one person living at the home and attending the college.

The inspection was conducted by an adult social care inspector.

A registered manager was 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. ‘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.’

The staff we spoke with described how they would recognise abuse and the action they would take to ensure actual or potential harm was reported. Training records confirmed staff had undertaken safeguarding training and this was on-going.

We reviewed the way medication was managed. We saw there were systems in place to monitor medication so that people received their medicines safely.

We looked at how staff were recruited and the processes to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. We found recruitment to be well managed and thorough.

We found there were enough staff on duty each day to keep the person safe and to be able to access the community.

Care was organised so any risks were assessed and plans put in place to maximise people’s independence whilst help ensure people’s safety.

Arrangements were in place for checking the environment to ensure it was safe. We found the environment safe and well maintained.

Staff received a regular programme of training and support, through regular supervision and appraisals.

The principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed when the person in the home was unable to consent. We saw that an assessment of the person’s mental capacity was made and decisions made in the person’s best interest in consultation with health professionals and family members.

The registered manager had made an appropriate referral to the local authority applying for an authorisation to support a person who may be deprived of their liberty under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS is part of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and aims to ensure people in care homes and hospitals are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom unless it is in their best interests.

Care records showed that people’s health care needs were addressed and contact with external health care professionals was made when needed. We saw that the manager and staff liaised well with community services to support the person who lived in the home.

People’s dietary needs were managed with reference to individual preferences.

The person living in the home took part in a range of activities of their choice.

Care and support plans were formulated and were current to meet the person’s needs. We saw that the person living in the home was involved in their care planning and decision making on a day to day basis.

Family members of people living at Sussex Road told us that staff had the skills and knowledge needed to ensure their relative received the right support. Relatives were satisfied with their family member living in the home and the progress they had made since their admission. We saw some examples in care planning documentation which showed evidence of people’s input.

There was a complaints procedure was in place and a record was made of any complaints and these had been responded to.

The manager was able to evidence a series of quality assurance processes and audits carried out internally and externally by staff and from external agencies. These were effective in managing the home and ensuring it was a safe environment.

Each person's planned care was detailed and we saw evidence of regular review of people's individual needs. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how they could provide support and assistance which met people's needs, whilst protecting their safety and well-being. The provider had recently introduced the NHS 'Change for Life' healthy eating plan, which had been discussed with people at the home. Meal menus reflected current guidance on quality nutrition, and people's feedback on meal options had been taken into consideration.

When we looked around the home, we found it was suitably equipped to meet the needs of people who lived there. The building was in a good state of repair and that the provider had recently re-decorated the communal areas of the home. The layout of the building meant people had access to their own bathroom, which promoted their dignity and gave them the privacy they required.

By reviewing provider staff records and speaking with people who worked at the home, we found staff were suitably skilled and experienced to provide the support required by the people who lived at 15 Sussex Road. We looked at feedback from relatives whose family member's lived at the home. This showed relatives were involved in their family member's care and were kept informed of any changes to planned care and support.