Style Acre

Updated 9 January 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This service provides care and support to people living in supported living settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

We gave the service 3 days’ notice of the inspection site visits to enable the service to arrange visits from an inspector and an Expert by Experience to people living in their own homes.

Inspection site visit activity started on 2 November 2017 and ended on 7 November 2017. We visited the office location on 2 and 7 November 2017 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

During the inspection we spoke with 11 people and 11 relatives to obtain their feedback about the service.

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience (ExE). An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

The inspection was informed by feedback from questionnaires completed by a number of people using services, staff and health and social care professionals. This complimented the management of the service and the significant support people received to ensure they lived their lives as independently as possible.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with the nominated individual, the registered manager, the deputy manager, the speech and language therapist, three support managers and seven support workers. We looked at five people's care records, five staff files and other records looking at the management of the service.

Updated 9 January 2018

Style Acre is a supported living service that supports people with learning disabilities and Autism to live as independently as possible in their own homes. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. People had a range of disabilities and included people with learning and physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection there were 82 people being supported with personal care.

At our last inspection of the service on 29 September 2015 the service was rated good overall. At this inspection on 7 November 2017 we found the service was now Outstanding in Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. It is now rated Outstanding overall.

The same registered manager remained 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.

Style Acre was a charitable organisation that was exceptionally well-led by a management team who were highly committed to ensuring people lived fulfilling lives. The service was outstanding at empowering people to have as much control over their lives as possible and to achieve their maximum potential. The registered manager promoted a 'can do' attitude that was replicated by staff at all levels.

The nominated individual was passionate about the person-centred approach of the service and it was clear the service was run with and for people. The service had developed innovative ways to ensure people were involved at all levels in influencing the development and improvement of the service.

Without exception people spoke positively about their experience of the service and the successes they had been supported to achieve. It was clear the culture within the service valued the uniqueness of all individuals. People had access to a wide range of activities which took account of their personal preferences and were tailored to their individual needs. Staff went to exceptional lengths to encourage people to identify an activity that would enhance their health and well-being. There were many examples of people's lives being transformed through accessing activities.

There was an extremely caring culture that ensured people's privacy was protected and respected. Everyone spoke of the openness of the service and without exception, people and staff felt valued and listened to.

The service were exceptional at looking for adaptive and creative methods of communicating for people. Staff used individualised methods of communication to enable people to have input into their support needs and maintain as much control as possible over their lives. People were encouraged and supported to express themselves in the most effective way to ensure their well-being was maintained.

People were active members of their local community. The service worked in partnership with other organisations in creative and innovative ways to improve people's independence. This included working with a variety of organisations to gain opportunities for people to find work placements.

The service had been nominated and won three awards at the Oxfordshire Association of Care Providers Care Awards in 2016. This included 'The Care Employer Award'.

Staff were highly motivated and committed to ensure people's individual needs were met. Staff worked with people to ensure they achieved their dreams and goals. The service created an innovative approach to caring by focusing on what people wanted to achieve and overcoming obstacles using an Active Support approach.

People benefitted from a service that was committed to continuous learning and improvement. Staff were supported to ensure they were skilled and knowledgeable in order to be able to meet people's needs. The staff we spoke with were confident that the support they received enabled them to do their jobs effectively. Staff were supported to continually develop and the service ran a successful leadership and management programme. This resulted in people benefitting from a motivated and skilled management team.

The service went to outstanding lengths to support people to access health services. Staff looked for innovative ways to reassure and manage people's anxiety when they required input from health professionals. This ensured people's health and well-being was maintained.

The manager and staff understood the requirements of the MCA, and 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 also supported this practice. Staff consistently obtained people's consent before providing support and, if people were assessed as lacking capacity to make a decision, staff ensured they acted in the person's best interests to protect their human rights. Best interest decisions were recorded.

The service ensured people were supported to understand risks and where risks were identified people were supported to manage the risks. The service promoted positive risk taking and found creative ways to ensure people had the skills to manage the risks whilst promoting their independence.

Medicines were managed safely and where possible people were encouraged to manage their own medicines.