Background to this inspection
Updated
7 August 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 18 May 2018 and was announced. We told the registered manager forty-eight hours before our inspection that we would be coming. This was because we wanted to make sure that the registered manager and other appropriate staff were available to speak with us on the day of our inspection. One inspector undertook the inspection.
We previously carried out a comprehensive inspection on 5 February 2016 and rated the service ‘Good’ in all areas.
The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at other information we held about the service. This included previous inspection reports and notifications. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the service must inform us about. We contacted the local authority commissioning team to ask them about their experiences of the service provided and three visiting health and social care professionals and received three responses. We also contacted both people’s relatives/advocates for their experiences of the service provided and received one response.
We spoke with people generally during the inspection. However, people could not fully communicate with us due to their conditions. We spent time observing how people were cared for and supported and their interactions with staff to understand their experience of living in the service. We spoke with two care staff, and the registered manager. We spent time looking at records, including both people’s care and support records, two staff recruitment files, staff training records, and other records relating to the management of the service, such as policies and procedures, accident/incident recording and audit documentation. We observed the administration of medicines. We also ‘pathway tracked’ the care for both people using the service. This is where we check that the care detailed in individual plans matches the experience of the person receiving care. It was an important part of our inspection, as it allowed us to capture information about people receiving care.
Updated
7 August 2018
The inspection took place on the 18 May 2018 and was announced.
21 Ferndale Road provides tailored support packages for two people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. At the time of the inspection two people were living in the service. People have their own bedroom and shared the communal facilities. The service is situated in a residential area with easy access to local amenities and transport links.
At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
Observations, a relative and visiting health and social care professionals consistently told us how the service was exceptionally personalised to meet people's individual needs. Staff spoke with pride and passion about the way people were cared for. Management and staff continuously looked for ways to improve people's care so they received positive experiences and led fulfilling lives at the service. Staff had achieved a ‘Gold’ award for ‘Total Communication Charter Standards,’ which was an externally rated and reviewed award. The ‘Total Communication Charter’ is a set of 10 standards to help support people with learning disabilities and their carers to communicate as effectively as possible and is supported and followed by local statutory authorities in the city. This is the term used to describe the use of pictures, objects, signs, gestures and spoken word to enable people to express themselves and understand what is being said. Staff spoke of ways they had been creative and innovative to achieve and maintain this level of award and how they had supported staff from the other provider’s services to achieve this award and work towards ‘Gold’ status. The registered manager told us, “Through the high standard of communication implemented in the service we supported the service users to communicate through speech, Makaton (A specific visual signing technique was used, as was pictorial representations), symbols and pictures.” Staff from the providers other services working towards the award had also visited the service for ideas, support and guidance.
The culture of the service was open and inclusive and encouraged staff to see beyond each person's support needs. The provider had clear values which the registered manager and staff promoted. The registered manager showed outstanding drive and passion, ensuring the service was continually improving and striving to be outstanding, with people at the heart of the service.
Systems had been maintained to keep people safe. People remained protected from the risk of abuse because staff understood how to identify and report it. Assessments of risks to people had been developed. Staff told us they had received supervision, and continued to be supported to develop their skills and knowledge by receiving training which helped them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. Care staff had the knowledge and skills to provide the care and support that people needed.
Care and support provided was personalised and based on the identified needs of each person. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Staff had a good understanding of consent. A relative/advocate told us they very happy with the care and support provided. People continued to be 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. People were supported to increase their independence and access a range of social activities.
The provider continued to have arrangements in place for the safe administration of medicines. People were supported to get their medicine safely when they needed it. People were supported with their food and drink and this was monitored regularly. People continued to be supported to maintain good health. People were protected by the infection control procedures in place.
A relative/advocate, visiting health and social care professionals and staff told us the service continued to be well led. Staff told us the registered manager was always approachable and had an open door policy if they required some advice or needed to discuss something. One member of staff told us, “I love it here. We have done such a lot of work with (People’s names) and they have come such a long way. I like what we do here. I like the support here. This place keeps me going. I enjoy getting stuck in here and we all help each other out.” The registered manager carried out a range of internal audits, and records confirmed this. People and their relatives were regularly consulted about the care provided through reviews, tenants meetings and by using quality assurance questionnaires.