Archived: 31 Woodbourne Avenue

Updated 30 July 2022

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.

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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

31 Woodbourne Avenue is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. 31 Woodbourne 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

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 two people and contacted two relatives to gather their views. We spoke with three staff members including care workers and the registered manager. We looked at the care plans and medicines profiles for three people, three staff recruitment files and other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 30 July 2022

About the service

31 Woodbourne Avenue is a residential care home providing the personal care to up to eight people. The service provides support to people with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were seven people using the service.

The care home accommodates seven people in one residential property in the London borough of Streatham.

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.

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

We have made a recommendation in relation to staff training and records management. Staff did not receive specific training in learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders and behaviours that may cause anxiety or distress. Statutory notifications were not always submitted in a timely manner. Risk management plans in place did not always give staff clear guidance on how to mitigate risks.

Right support: People’s identified risks were not always clearly recorded. Staff did not always receive sufficient training to support the people they were caring for. The service had enough staff, including for one-to-one support for people to take part in activities and visits how and when they wanted. Staff received support in the form of continual supervision, appraisal and recognition of good practice. People were able to eat and drink in line with their cultural preferences and beliefs. People were referred to health care professionals to support their wellbeing and help them to live healthy lives. 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: People felt valued by staff who showed genuine interest in their well-being and quality of life. Staff discussed ways of ensuring people’s goals were meaningful and spent time with people understanding how they could be achieved. People were supported to understand their rights and explore meaningful relationships. Staff had good awareness, skills and understanding of individual communication needs, they knew how to facilitate communication and when people were trying to tell them something. Staff were committed to encouraging people to undertake voluntary work, employment, vocational courses in line with their wishes and to explore new social, leisure and recreational interests.

Right culture – Systems in relation to governance were not always as effective as they could be. Managers worked directly with people and led by example. The service apologised to people, and those important to them, when things went wrong. The provider had a clear vision for the direction of the service which demonstrated ambition and a desire for people to achieve the best outcomes possible. The service worked well in partnership with other health and social care organisations, which helped to improve the wellbeing of people that used the service.

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 17.11.2017).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care, right culture.

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.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the effective and well-led sections of this full report. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the effective and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for 31 Woodbourne 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.