We carried out a review of the data available to us about Glasshouse College on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Glasshouse College, you can give feedback on this service.
About the service
Glasshouse College is a specialist residential college and a shared lives service for young people with learning disabilities, autism and/or mental health needs. The shared lives scheme provides people with long-term placements within shared lives providers (SLP) own homes. The service can support up to 35 people and 18 people were receiving a service at the time of the inspection.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right Support
Glasshouse currently has 11 residential houses located in different settings. People accessed local facilities and were supported by staff to pursue their interests. Some of the residential houses were located in a more rural setting and consideration was given to the individual needs of the person prior to them moving there. Staff knew people well and knew how to manage any risks and report any concerns. There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed in a safe way. One person told us they were very happy with their house. They told us, “The staff are kind, I can talk to them when I need to.” Relatives told us their family members were safe.
Right Care
People were supported by caring and kind staff. Staff knew people well and knew their likes and dislikes. People were supported and encouraged to become more independent. A relative told us, “It’s been a brilliant placement for [family member's name].” Another relative told us, “I felt I needed to be keeping an eye on things, but since [registered manager name] has been in post I can take a step back again.”
Right Culture
Many improvements had been made at the service. The registered manager promoted a positive culture and led by example. Staff told us they received the support they needed to carry out their role. A staff member told us, “The manager is so approachable and supportive and gets things done.” Another staff member told us, “There have been so many improvements made and people have really benefited from these improvements. They live in nicer residential houses and the paperwork is much clearer and easy to follow now.”
The registered manager was keen to continually improve and develop the service. Effective audits and regular monitoring of the quality of support delivered was now in place.
Relatives spoke highly of the staff team and the care and support of their family members. Systems were in place, so the home remained safe and effective. People received help and support to thrive in a learning environment and reach their full potential. 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.
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was inadequate (published September 2021).
Why we inspected
At our last inspection we found a breach of regulations in safe care and treatment and also a breach of the provider's quality monitoring systems. This inspection took place so we could monitor the improvements the provider told us they had made.
We planned to look at safe, caring and the well led key questions only. However, we saw that improvements had been made in the other key questions of effective and responsive and made the decision during the inspection to also report on these. Our findings are that both breaches have been met. The overall rating for the service has improved to good. This means the service will no longer be in special measures.
We also undertook this inspection to assess the service is applying the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
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.
Glasshouse College is a specialist residential college. Glasshouse college provides accommodation and personal care to people between the ages of 16 and 25 years.
People who use the service had a learning and/or behavioural difficulties. There were 19 people using this service at the time of our inspection. Additionally, two people were living in shared lives placements. This service is where people, who also had a learning and/or behavioural difficulty, were supported to live in their own homes as independently as possible through engaging in the process of Practical Skills Therapeutic Education.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Care and treatment was not always provided in a safe way. There was a lack of provider oversight which meant risks to people’s safety had not always been identified and responded to appropriately.
Systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were not always effective and placed people at risk of harm. Some of the houses people lived in were not well maintained.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. The provider had not ensured that all living environments were well maintained and fit for purpose.
People received their medicines when needed. Staff knew people's needs and felt supported by the management team. Staff understood what action to take if they suspected somebody was being harmed or abused.
Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) were followed. Consent was requested before staff delivered care and support. The needs and goals of each person was of paramount importance to the provider, registered manager and staff.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This is the first rating of this service.
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part by notification of a specific incident. Following which a person using the service died. This incident is subject to a criminal investigation. The incident occurred when it was under a previous legal entity. This inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident.
We initially planned a focused inspection looking at safe and well led only. However, when concerns were identified we informed the provider that we would be looking at the five key questions.
We found evidence the provider needs to make improvements to safe care and treatment and good governance. The overall rating for this service is inadequate. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and good governance. Please see the action we told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
The overall rating for this service is ‘Inadequate’ and the service is therefore in ‘special measures’. This means we will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider’s registration, we will re-inspect within 6 months to check for significant improvements.
If the provider has not made enough improvement within this timeframe. And there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall rating, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures. This will mean we will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service. This will usually lead to cancellation of their registration or to varying the conditions the registration.
For adult social care services, the maximum time for being in special measures will usually be no more than 12 months. If the service has demonstrated improvements when we inspect it. And it is no longer rated as inadequate for any of the five key questions it will no longer be in special measures.