We carried out a review of the data available to us about Frogmore Road 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 Frogmore Road, you can give feedback on this service.
Frogmore Road is a domiciliary care service. It provides care and support to people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum conditions living in their own flats within one area of Houghton Regis. At the time of the inspection, only four people were being supported with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service:
People’s support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible to gain new skills and become more independent. This supported the principles of ‘Registering the Right Support’ and other best practice guidance. These ensured that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
People were protected from harm by staff who were confident in recognising and reporting concerns. Potential risks to people’s health and wellbeing were assessed and minimised. There were enough staff to support people safely and to enable them to take part in a range of activities they enjoyed. People were supported to take their medicines. Lessons had been learned from incidents to prevent recurrence. Staff followed effective processes to prevent the spread of infection.
Staff had the right skills to meet people's needs effectively. Staff were well supported and had information to meet people’s assessed needs. Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink, and to access healthcare services when required. This helped people to maintain their health and well-being.
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 supported this practice. People were fully involved in making decisions about their care and support. People were involved in planning and reviewing care plans. Staff supported people in a way that respected and promoted their privacy and dignity, and encouraged them to be as independent as possible.
People were happy with how staff supported them to meet their individual needs. They said this had been done in a kind and person-centred way. Complaints were managed well and there was learning from these to reduce the risk of recurrence. The service did not currently provide end of life care, but they had started including relevant information in people’s care plans.
Audits and quality monitoring checks were carried out regularly to continually improve the service. The provider had systems to enable people, relatives and staff to provide feedback about the service. People's experiences of the service were positive. Staff felt fully involved in ensuring the service met its regulatory requirements.
Rating at last inspection:
At the last inspection, the service was rated Good (report was published in October 2016).
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor all information we receive about the service and schedule the next inspection accordingly.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
There was a registered manager 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.
There were risk assessments in place that gave guidance to staff on how risks to people could be minimised. There were systems in place to safeguard people from risk of possible harm and suitable equipment was in place so that people were supported safely.
The provider had effective recruitment processes in place and there was sufficient numbers of staff to support people safely. Staff were regularly supported and had been trained to meet people’s individual needs.
Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to seek people’s consent prior to care being provided. Where people did not have capacity to consent to their care, this was provided in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).
People were supported by caring, friendly and respectful staff. They were supported to access other health and social care services when required.
People’s needs had been assessed, and care plans took account of their individual needs, preferences, and choices. They enjoyed happy and fulfilled lives because they had been given opportunities to pursue their hobbies and interests.
The provider had a formal process for handling complaints and concerns. They encouraged feedback from people and acted on the comments received to improve the quality of the service.
The registered manager promoted a caring culture within the service. However, some staff did not feel well supported and enabled to contribute towards the development of the service. The provider’s quality monitoring processes had been used effectively to drive continuous improvements. They worked in partnership with the housing provider to ensure that people’s homes were safe and met their individual needs.
We saw that a robust recruitment policy was in place and people's qualifications and references were checked before they started delivering personal care at Frogmore Road.
The provider had good quality assurance processes in place. People felt confident that they knew how to make a complaint if it were necessary and the provider had an appropriate complaints policy in place. Records were kept securely and, where held on computer, backed up for security appropriately.