Archived: Real Life Options - Springfield Road

Real Life Options provides accommodation and personal care for a maximum of twelve people. At the time of our inspection there were twelve people living at the location. 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:

People were kept safe and secure from risk of harm. Potential risks to people had been assessed and managed appropriately by the provider. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed and were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to ensure that risk of harm was minimised.

Staff had been recruited appropriately and had received relevant training so they were able to support people with their individual care and support needs.

Staff sought people’s consent before providing care and support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. People’s right to privacy was respected by the staff who supported them, and their dignity was maintained. People were supported to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care and support needs.

The provider had auditing systems in place to monitor the effectiveness and quality of service provision.

There was a positive emphasis on continually striving to improve the service and maintain high sustainable standards of care. The vision and values of the service were embedded in a person-centred culture which placed people firmly at the heart of the service.

The views of people on the quality of the service were gathered and used to support service development.

The provider worked in partnership with other organisations to ensure they were following current practice and providing high quality care.

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for the service was good {published June 2017}. At this inspection we found the service has remained as good

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

At the last inspection on 4 December 2014 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we judged that the service provided remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

People received the support they required to live a full and active life, while maintaining their safety and well- being. There were enough staff to safely support people and the registered provider had robust recruitment checks to ensure new staff were suitable to work with people.

Risks relating to people’s healthcare needs and lifestyle had been assessed. Staff were aware of the support people needed in these areas, and we saw staff providing support that was consistent with these assessments.

People required the support of staff to manage their medicines. Staff responsible for administering medicines had been trained and people received their medicine when they needed it.

Staff had received training and support to ensure they were aware of people’s needs and how to meet them. People were supported to see a wide range of health professionals and they received the help they required to maintain good health. People were provided with a wide range of meals and drinks that they enjoyed and that would ensure they maintained good hydration and nutrition.

People were supported to have some choice and control of their lives and staff supported people in the least restrictive ways possible. When restrictions on people’s liberty were necessary the registered manager had ensured the correct applications had been made to protect each person’s legal rights.

Staff were caring in their interactions with people. The staff we met knew people well, and were able to tell us about people including their needs, preferences and things and people who were important to them.

A range of activities and opportunities were provided each day that were tailored to each person’s needs and preferences. People had been supported to maintain links with people, places and activities that were important to them.

As far as people wished and were able they were involved in developing and reviewing their care plans. When people could not or chose not to contribute to this process staff had involved people that knew the person well and used their knowledge of the person to plan care that they felt was in the person’s best interest and best fitted their known preferences and wishes.

We received consistent feedback that the home was well run, and that the registered manager and senior staff team were supportive and promoted good practice. The registered manager and registered provider had a wide range of checks and audits in place that ensured the on-going safety and quality of the service. These had been effective at providing assurance that the service remained good, and that the service was meeting people’s needs and all of the fundamental standards.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We found that staff were good at meeting people's needs. People told us that they were happy living in this home. One person said, 'It is lovely here.' We saw many examples of how well staff communicated with people and offered them choices.

We saw that the care was planned so that people's individual needs and preferences were taken into account. People had opportunities to engage in a range of activities and to be part of the community.

There were good arrangements for making sure that medicines were stored, administered and recorded in a safe way.

Staff were well trained and supported so that they were competent in their roles. A professional who works with the home told us that this home was, '...among the best homes I have ever worked with.'

The home was well-managed. There were good, effective arrangements for monitoring the performance of the home and for identifying areas for improvement.

One person told us: 'I like it' 'I like all the staff'.

Evidence of verbal encouragement was noted to good effect and staff demonstrated their detailed knowledge of people by responding appropriately to gestures, tones or other expressions. During the course of the inspection, staff were heard to be offering people choices, ensuring person centred care, and to be responding appropriately to the more gregarious affections of some people living at the home.