We carried out a review of the data available to us about Avenues East - Services on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Avenues East - Services, you can give feedback on this 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
Feedback from the people using the service was positive about the personalised care provided to support people achieve their individual needs. A well-developed holistic approach to assessing and delivering care was in place. Staff were responsive to people’s needs and delivered support which achieved agreed outcomes for the individuals using the service. Staff providing the individualised care and support to people were passionate about ensuring people achieved their desired outcomes and met their goals. The service was tailored to meet the needs of individual people and delivered in ways to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.
Staff had received training including the safeguarding of people, administration of medicines, infection control and epilepsy. Staff also informed us they had regular supervision and a yearly appraisal. Care plans and risk assessments had been written from an assessment of the person’s needs and was updated as necessary. The staff were aware of the contents of the care plan so that they understood the individuals needs and how to support them to meet their desired goals. The service continued to have a robust recruitment process in operation and had sufficient members of staff to cover the rota.
People were supported to live healthy lives and had access to health professionals when needed. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and support was planned to meet people’s assessed nutritional and health needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their life and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported his practice.
People using the service shared positive relationships with the staff and people’s privacy, independence and dignity were respected. We observed staff listening to and supporting people to make choices about their care, support and meals of their choice.
The registered manager told us the aim of the service was to deliver person-centred quality care. The service provided was assessed and monitored by the registered manager and members of the senior management team to support the people using the service to meet their needs. There were governance procedures in place and issues were acted upon as identified. The service had a complaints policy and any issues raised were investigated to the satisfaction of all parties involved. Staff had received training and worked with other services regarding supporting people at the end of their lives in their own home, when this was their choice.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
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 13 September 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor intelligence 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.
Avenues East provides personal care to people in supported living settings and in their own homes through a domiciliary service. There were 50 people using the service at the time of our inspection. Some people using the service had an acquired brain injury.
This is the first inspection of this service under our inspection system.
People who used the service had access to a case manager responsible for assessing their needs on an on-going basis to promote their recovery, independence and maintenance of their well-being. The service is based around each person’s individual needs and is therefore not time limited.
The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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.
People felt safe using the service and were empowered and enabled to take responsibility for their own safety. There were systems and processes in place to minimise the risk of abuse and staff understood their role in safeguarding people from harm. There was a culture of transparency and staff were given training in how to whistle blow on poor practice.
Risks associated with people’s care and support were managed safely whilst promoting independence. There were effective, organised systems in place for the safe handling of medicines. Assessments were in place to support people administer or increase their independence to self-administer their medicines.
People were supported by a team of staff who were skilled and experienced in the assessment of and meeting people's individual needs. Staff were provided with supervision, appraisals and on-going training.
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 procedures of the service and used the by staff supported this practice.
The staff supported people to make decisions and choices in their lives having ensured capacity assessments had been completed. People's rights were protected because staff acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
People were supported to choose and prepare their meals and staff ensured that people had enough to eat and drink.
The service had a person centred culture focussed on the promotion of people's rights to make choices and live a fulfilled life as independently as possible. People received a personalised service which took into account their diverse needs and emphasised their recovery, rehabilitation and or on-going support. Support plans were personalised and centred on people’s preferences, views and experiences as well as their support needs.
People were supported by caring staff that knew them well and understood how to support them to maximise their potential and attain their goals. People's progress was monitored and celebrated.
Staff had supported people using the service to develop hobbies and interests in gardening and fundraising for a charity of their choice. People had also linked with a local school to share a sports day together and raise their profile of the service in the local community.
The service assessed and supported people whose needs were complex. The support was planned in a proactive way with people’s involvement. People were listened to and there were systems in place to obtain people's views about their care. People were encouraged to provide feedback on the service and felt they could raise concerns. Complaints were taken seriously, investigated and responded to professionally.
The registered manager was well known by the people using the service and supportive of their staff to lead a service aiming to provide person-centred support. The management staff consulted widely with the people using the service, staff and other professionals to provide a service which was outstanding in the way it responded to people’s needs.
The service had a statement of purpose and clear vision for personalised support to be embedded throughout the service and there was a strong commitment to deliver a high standard of personalised care. There was a culture of continuous learning, development and improvement.
Robust and frequent quality assurance processes ensured the safety and quality of the service. Practice was evidence based and regular evaluations took place to ensure that the service had a positive impact on the lives of the people using the service.