Southdown Housing Association - 50a Avis Road

Updated 22 August 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was conducted by one inspector

Service and service type:

Southdown Housing Association – 50a Avis Road is a is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The people who lived in the home had complex support needs related to their profound physical and learning disabilities.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection:

Before the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service and the service provider. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection:

We observed the care and support people received. People living in the service did not use always use words as their main means of communication, so we spent time observing the care and support people received. We spoke with the registered manager, a member of the housekeeping team and six care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection:

We contacted five relatives via telephone to gain their feedback. We also continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. Further evidence was emailed to the inspection team after the inspection.

Updated 22 August 2019

About the service:

Southdown Housing Association – 50a Avis Road is a residential care home that provides personal care for up to six adults with complex support needs. There were six people living at the service at the time of the inspection.

The accommodation was in a large, purpose-built bungalow with communal areas and an accessible garden. 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:

Observations of care and feedback from relatives confirmed that people were safe living at the service and safeguarding procedures were in place to protect them. Staff were recruited safely, and enough staff were on duty to provide safe care. Staff had the skills they needed to support people effectively.

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. The use of restrictive practice was regularly reviewed to ensure it was proportionate and remained the least restrictive option.

Staff understood, and protected people's rights and people were treated as individuals. Support was very personalised to meet individual needs. People were encouraged to be as independent as they were able with a culture of promoting independence underpinning all care and support. Staff worked effectively with health and social care professionals to ensure people's needs were met. People had opportunities to engage in activities that gave them a sense of self-worth and achievement.

Reviews and audits of the service showed people received good outcomes and a safe and well managed service. The management team were approachable and proactive to ensure the service met the needs of the people they supported. The service had good community links that promoted inclusion.

Incident and accidents were reviewed on a regular basis to identify any trends, themes or patterns. The provider had a dedicated positive behaviour support team (PBS) alongside a PBS strategy. Each person had individual PBS guidelines and staff were clear on the steps to take to support a person during times of anxiety of agitation.

Risks associated with people's care and support were assessed. Detailed risk management plans helped staff to manage and reduce risks. People were involved in planning and reviewing their care and support. Care plans contained detailed information and clearly reflected people's individual preferences for how they wished their care and support to be delivered

Staff demonstrated commitment to ensuring that people experienced a good quality of life. They showed kindness and compassion in their interactions with people and spoke about them with warmth and respect. People enjoyed caring relationships with staff and there were laughter and smiles in their engagements with them.

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 the service was Good (Report published 29 November 2016)

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.