Autism and Aspergers Care Services Ltd

Updated 25 March 2020

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 carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Autism and Aspergers Care Services Ltd is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

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.

During the inspection

We spoke with all three people living at the service. We also spoke with the registered manager and three support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and two people’s medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at staff training, minutes of meetings and quality assurance records. We received feedback from three health and social care professionals and from one relative.

Updated 25 March 2020

Autism and Aspergers Care Services Ltd is a residential care home providing personal care to three people. At the time of inspection, three people were living at the service. People had specialist needs related to Autism and behaviours that challenged.

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 service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent. They were encouraged to take part in daily living tasks with support from staff in areas such as laundry, cleaning, cooking and hoovering.

People received support from staff who knew them very well as individuals. Staff turnover was low, and a relative and professionals who provided feedback told us this was due to consistency in the staff team. People’s care and support needs were assessed and reviewed regularly. This enabled people to receive care that was person-centred and reflected their needs and choices.

People were supported to maintain their own interests. Staff supported people to take part in choosing activities to meet their individual needs and wishes. Two people loved to attend a fitness/dancing class and another person was supported to maintain their religious beliefs. Staff ensured people had regular opportunities to use cafes and restaurants and the organisations ‘Trip club’ ensured people had regular outings to places of interest to them.

People were protected from the risks of harm, abuse or discrimination because staff knew what actions to take if they identified concerns. The home was clean and tidy throughout. There were enough staff working to provide the support people needed, at times of their choice. Recruitment procedures ensured only suitable staff worked at the service.

The registered manager had very good oversight of the service. Quality assurance systems were comprehensive and ensured all aspects of the running of the home were examined regularly, records were kept up to date and any actions resulting from audits were addressed swiftly.

Staff understood the risks associated with the people they supported. Risk assessments provided further guidance for staff about individual and environmental risks. People were supported to receive their medicines safely.

Staff received training that helped them to deliver the care and support people needed. This included specialist training in autism and positive behavioural support to meet people’s complex needs. They attended regular supervision meetings and told us they were very well supported by the registered manager. A staff member told us the registered manager, “Knows the way we work. We can turn to her if we have a problem.”

People's health and well-being needs were met. Where appropriate, staff supported people to attend health appointments, such as the GP or dentist and appointments for specialist advice. People’s nutritional needs were assessed. They ate a wide range of healthy, freshly cooked meals, drinks and snacks each day.

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. There was a detailed complaint procedure, and this was displayed so anyone wanting to raise a concern could do so.

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 4 February 2017).

The overall rating for the service has remained Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

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.