Norwood - 60 Carlton Avenue

Updated 13 October 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector over 2 days.

Service and service type

Norwood – 60 Carlton Avenue is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Norwood – 60 Carlton Avenue is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 1 person who used the service and 4 relatives to get their views about the care provided at Norwood – 60 Carlton Avenue. We spoke with 5 staff including the registered manager, operation manager, deputy manager and 2 care staff. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We looked at 2 care plans, 3 staffing records which included recruitment, training and supervision information. We looked at medicines records and other records required to manage the service.

Updated 13 October 2023

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 statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

About the service

Norwood – 60 Carlton Avenue is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 8 people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 6 people using the service, 1 person who used the service was admitted to hospital at the time of our inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support: Staff understood people extremely well and there was a strong focus on promoting people’s independence and providing the maximum choice, which was fully embedded in the service. People were supported by an enthusiastic staff and management team who supported people to achieve their dreams and goals, with a focus on people’s abilities and skills. There was a strong focus on people to have an integral part in their local and wider community. Rooms and communal areas reflected what was important to people. People's personal space was respected and personalised with pictures, photos and items which were important to them. People were supported to take risks and live a fulfilled life. Support was tailored around people’s needs and was adjusted frequently to ensure it was meaningful and what people wanted to do. People’s needs were continuously reviewed and updated.

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.

Right Care: The service considered diverse needs consistently in all aspects; this included care planning, risk assessing and the day to day support people received. The registered manager and provider led by example and guided staff on how to provide extremely individualised person-centred support with detailed care plans which provided clear guidance on people's wishes. Care plans were regularly updated and reviewed to ensure people’s individual needs were still reflected. There was a strong focus on working collaboratively with external stakeholders to ensure people’s needs were addressed and people and their relatives were heard when decisions about their care were made. The staff team showed a very good understanding of minimising risks and demonstrated their knowledge of safeguarding. The service worked continuously to explore new ways to engage people in communicating their needs. The staff and managers explored and introduced new tools to assist people to communicate their needs and wishes. The service supported people to have a well balanced culturally appropriate diet. Food and meal choices were respected and people were engaged and supported to make healthy culturally appropriate meal and food choices. Medicines were managed safely. Staff discussed the medicines clearly and explained the reason why the medicines were prescribed.

Right Culture: The service was led by a strong management team who embedded the values of a service led by the people and empowered people to be included in all aspects of the service. Staff felt they were extremely well supported by the management team. Staff supported people who had an in-depth understanding of good practice. Staff promoted people’s strengths and only offered support when people needed this to maintain and improve their independence. Care and support was innovative and the service was driven by people to achieve their own goals, dreams and aspirations. The culture within the service was to enhance peoples quality of live. There was clear evidence of working together with people to develop and improve the service and the quality of care provided. Concerns and complaints were responded to professionally, open and with transparency to make consistent improvements to the care people received.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update - The last rating for this service was good (published 22 December 2017).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding and where the rating was more than 5 years old.

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Norwood – 60 Carlton Avenue on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.