Archived: The Annex

This inspection was carried out on 16 October 2015 and was announced.

The Annex provides a supported living service for people who have learning disabilities and autism. The accommodation includes two bedrooms for people using the service and a third bedroom which doubles as a sleep in room/ office for staff who provide 24 hour support for people. At the time of our inspection two people were using the service.

The Annex has 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.

Staff had received safeguarding training. They told us they understood how to recognise the signs of abuse and knew how to report their concerns if they had any. There was a safeguarding policy in place. Relatives told us their family member felt safe and people behaved in a way which indicated they felt safe.

Risks had been appropriately identified and addressed in relation to people’s specific needs. Staff were aware of people’s individual risk assessments and knew how to mitigate the risks.

Medication was stored safely and administered by staff who had been trained to do so. There were procedures in place to ensure the safe handling and administration of medication.

People were asked for their consent before care or support was provided and where people did not have the capacity to consent, the provider acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This meant that people’s mental capacity was assessed and decisions were made in their best interest involving relevant people. The registered manager was aware of his responsibilities under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and had made appropriate applications for people using the service.

Relatives told us they were very happy. Staff understood people’s preferences and knew how to interact and communicate with them. People behaved in a way which showed they felt supported and happy. People were supported to choose their meals and specific dietary requirements were appropriately followed. Snacks and drinks were available in between meals. Staff were kind and caring and respected people’s dignity.

Support plans were detailed and included a range of documents covering every aspect of a person’s care and support. The support plans were used to ensure that people received care and support in line with their needs and wishes. We saw this reflected in the support observed during the visit.

There was evidence in support plans that the service had responded to health needs.

The registered manager was liked and respected by people, staff and relatives. There was good morale amongst staff who worked as a team in an open and transparent culture. Staff felt respected and listened to by the registered manager. Regular staff meetings meant that staff were involved in the development of future plans. There was a positive and caring atmosphere within the service and effective and responsive planning and delivery of care and support. Effective quality assurance systems were in place to ensure the quality and consistency of the service.