We carried out a review of the data available to us about Autumn Vale Rest Home 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 Autumn Vale Rest Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Autumn Vale is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service is situated on the outskirts of Portsmouth, close to a bus route and local amenities. Autumn Vale can accommodate up to 25 people and there were 21 people living there at the time of our inspection.
We had conducted our previous unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 21 April 2016. Breaches of legal requirements had been found. After the comprehensive inspection, the provider wrote to us to say what they were going to do to meet legal requirements relating to the safe management of medicines. They also explained what action they were planning to take to ensure they would be able to effectively assess the quality of the service.
Following the full comprehensive inspection, we undertook a focused inspection on 17 July 2017 to check whether the service had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met the legal requirements. We found the service had made significant improvements in the ‘safe’ and ‘well-led’ domains.
There was 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.
People told us they felt safe at Autumn Vale Rest Home. Staff knew the correct procedures to follow if they considered someone was at risk of harm or abuse. They had received appropriate safeguarding training and there were policies and procedures in place to follow in case of an allegation of abuse.
People's safety was promoted as risks that may cause them harm in the service and in the local community had been identified and managed. Appropriate risk assessments were in place to keep people safe. Medicines were managed safely. All staff had received training in the safe management of medicines. The provider had systems in place to store medicines safely.
Procedures in relation to recruitment and retention of staff were robust and ensured only suitable people were employed at the service.
Staff working at the service were suitably qualified and skilled. Staffing numbers and shifts were managed to suit people's needs so that people received their care when they needed and wanted it. Staff had access to information, support and training they needed to provide people with satisfactory care. The provider’s training was designed to meet the needs of people using the service. As a result, staff had the knowledge they required to care for people effectively.
There were policies and procedures in place in relation to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Staff were trained in the principles of the MCA and could describe how people were supported to make decisions. Where people did not have the capacity, decisions were made in their best interests.
People’s health and well-being were kept under review and staff liaised closely with health and social care professionals to ensure people received all the support they needed.
Care plans were informative and contained clear guidance for staff. They included information about people’s routines, personal histories, preferences and any situations which might cause people anxiety or stress. The plans clearly described how staff were supposed to support people in such circumstances.
People were provided with a range of activities which met their individual needs and interests. Staff also supported people to maintain relationships with their relatives and friends.
People knew how to raise concerns and make complaints. Complaints were recorded, investigated and the outcome was fed back to the complainant.
People using the service and staff were very complimentary about the registered manager of the service. People told us that the manager was accessible and approachable. A positive and open culture was promoted at the service. The provider had effective systems in place to review the quality of the service provided.
We undertook this focused inspection on 17 July 2017 to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Autumn Vale Rest Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk”.
Autumn Vale is a 24 hour support, residential care home for people with mental health needs. The home is situated on the outskirts of Portsmouth, close to a bus route and local amenities. The home can accommodate up to 25 people and there were 19 people living at the home at the time of our inspection.
A registered manager was in place. 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 atmosphere was welcoming throughout the home and people told us they enjoyed living at Autumn Vale. They spoke positively about the registered manager and provider, as did the staff. Both the registered manager and provider were described as supportive, approachable people who were willing to help.
We found improvements had been made, although further embedding was needed to ensure medicines were managed safely at all times. The management of medicines had improved and systems were in place to monitor this. However, the checking of temperatures of the rooms where medicines were stored required improvement as this did not always take place. Audits were being undertaken regularly. However, one person had not received a prescribed medicine the night before our inspection visit. People told us they were happy with the support they received to manage their medicines and said they received these when they needed them. Whilst we identified that further embedding of improvements were needed, the registered manager was aware of these issues and was addressing them with staff in order to ensure consistency in the management of medicines.
Multiple audits were in place to assess the quality of the service and the provider had commenced a formalised process of recording their visits, audits and findings. Action plans were developed to make necessary improvements and staff meetings, supervisions and house meetings attended by people were used to share feedback.
This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 08 November 2016.
The service was last inspected on 19 November 2013 and was meeting all the regulations assessed at that time.
Autumn Vale is a 24 hour support, residential care home for people with Mental health needs. The home is situated on the outskirts of Portsmouth, close to a bus route and local amenities. The home can accommodate up to 25 people and there were 21 people living at the home at the time of our inspection.
During this inspection we found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in regards to safe care and treatment and good governance. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.
There was 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.
People living at the service told us they felt safe living at Autumn vale. The staff we spoke with had a good understanding of safeguarding, whistleblowing and how to report any concerns.
We found people's medication was not managed safely. Medication stock did not tally with a Medication Administration record (MAR). We also found some medicine guidance was not documented in line with best practice and staff did not have sufficient information to guide them when administering PRN medicines.
There were sufficient numbers of staff effectively deployed. Staff were recruited safely with references from previous employers being sought and DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) checks undertaken prior to new staff commencing in employment at the home.
Appropriate risk assessments had been completed and were reviewed regularly to meet people’s needs.
Staff induction was aligned with the care certificate and skills for care. Staff received appropriate training and supervision to support them in their role.
People’s mealtime experience was positive and people were autonomous in deciding the services menus. The service had recently received a five star food rating and people were complimentary about the food provided.
Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) regarding people who lacked capacity to make a decision. They also understood the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to make sure people were not restricted unnecessarily.
People were supported by staff that were kind and caring. Staff maintained people’s privacy and dignity and promoted their independence.
Each person living at the service had their own care plan, which was person centred and detailed people’s choices and personal preferences.
People were supported to maintain fulfilled and active lives. There was an activities programme and people were supported to pursue education, employment and community activities.
There was a welcoming atmosphere throughout the home and people spoke positively about the visibility of the management and the leadership of the home. People told us they would recommend living at Autumn vale.
Staff spoke of a positive culture and a registered manager and provider that were approachable and supportive.
We found the provider didn’t conduct audits and despite the management conducting a number of audits, the internal audit processes in place at the time of the inspection had not identified the concerns we had raised in regards to the safe management of medicines. We observed the registered manager commence addressing the concerns we had raised during our visit.
There were processes in place to involve people and to support them to make informed choices about the care they received.
For each person living in the home there was a detailed, person centred plan of care in place that included individual needs and wishes and also recorded people's physical and emotional healthcare needs.
The home's staff worked with a variety of healthcare professionals including mental health teams, district nurses and local doctors.
Staff received training in protecting people from risk of abuse or harm and those that spoke with us were aware of the correct process to follow.
The staff team were well trained and well supported and people that used the service told us they were kind and caring.
There were processes in place to audit and monitor the quality of the service being provided.
Comments from users of the service included. 'I am 100% happy here. In other places I have lived in people have been unkind to me. This is perfect; I have my own space and time to myself as I don't like mixing. They respect that'.
People had clear assessments and care plans which gave details of risk assessments and all had been reviewed regularly. One person told us, 'This place is perfectly adequate ok. Good food, good company and plenty of activities for me'.
All areas of the home were clean and people told us they enjoyed living at Autumn Vale.
People told us there were enough staff in the home to meet thier needs.One person told us, 'I like the food and I like the staff'.