Archived: Avenues South East - 356 Station Road

356 Station Road is a residential care home. The home accommodates up to two people in one house. At the time of our inspection two people with learning disabilities were living at the service.

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 and what we found

The provider had systems in place to ensure people remained safe. Staff had completed safeguarding training and were aware of the provider's whistleblowing process. Risks had been identified and managed.

The provider ensured checks were in place to maintain the safety of the home. People received support to take their medicines safely. The provider ensured staff employed were suitable with the right skills and experience to support people living at the service. Enough well-trained staff were available to ensure people's needs were met.

Staff treated people as individuals with compassion and kindness. The provider had a clear ethos which staff spoke proudly about. Staff told us they were supported by the management team.

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.

We observed many happy interactions between people and staff. Staff clearly knew people well and were knowledgeable about people's life histories, family structures, preferences and care and support needs. We

observed staff seek permission before supporting people.

Care plans were person centred and provided staff with clear information on how to support people in line with their preferences. People were supported to take part in activities and interests they enjoyed.

The registered manager set high standards and led by example. The staff team felt supported by the registered manager and the organisation. Staff promoted a culture of inclusiveness and people were valued for their individuality. Effective checks and audits were completed to make sure people received a good quality of support. Staff worked with people’s health care professionals to ensure care was joined-up.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good. (published on 21st March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor this service and inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for services rated good.

Avenues South East - 356 Station Road is a residential home providing care and support for two people with learning disabilities, autism and limited verbal communication. The service is part of a group managed by the Avenues Trust. At the time of our visit, two people lived at Avenues South East - 356 Station Road.

At the last Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection on 29 July 2014, the service was rated Good in all domains and overall.

At this inspection we found the service remained good.

People continued to be safe at Avenues South East - 356 Station Road. People were protected against the risk of abuse. We observed that people felt safe in the service. Staff recognised the signs of abuse or neglect and what to look out for. Medicines were managed safely and people received them as prescribed.

Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of abuse or harm. They followed appropriate guidance to minimise identified risks to people's health, safety and welfare. There were enough staff to keep people safe. The provider had appropriate arrangements in place to check the suitability and fitness of new staff.

Each person had an up to date, personalised support plan, which set out how their care and support needs should be met by staff. These were reviewed regularly. Staff received regular training and supervision to help them to meet people's needs effectively.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their needs. They also received the support they needed to stay healthy and to access healthcare services. Staff encouraged people to actively participate in activities, pursue their interests and to maintain relationships with people that mattered to them.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The provider and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Staff were caring and treated people with dignity and respect ensuring people's privacy was maintained, particularly when being supported with their personal care needs. 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.

The registered manager ensured the complaints procedure was made available in an accessible format. Regular checks and reviews of the service continued to be made to ensure people experienced good quality safe care and support.

The registered manager provided good leadership. They checked staff were focussed on people experiencing good quality care and support. People and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about how the service could be improved. This was used to make changes and improvements that people wanted.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We saw that the way care and support was provided by the staff at the home protected and promoted the welfare of the people living there by ensuring that their needs were accurately identified and could therefore be met.

We reviewed the management of safeguarding at the home and found that staff understood their responsibilities and systems were in place that protected people from abuse.

Staff we spoke with during our visit told us that they were supported to do their jobs. They felt that the training they had received was sufficient and useful. Managers at the service were described as approachable and we heard that they had an 'open door' policy. This meant staff could access additional support if they felt they needed it.

We looked at the way in which the quality of the service was assessed and monitored. We found that systems were in place that ensured a good standard of care was maintained at the home due to the fact that the quality of the service was appropriately monitored.

We observed staff interacting with people and saw that they knew each person's individual needs. Staff told us that they understood the support that people needed and were trained to be able to deliver the support safely.

We looked at records that showed that each person had a care plan that was individual to them and gave information to staff about their level of need and how staff could best support them.