Acorn Manor

About the service

Acorn Manor is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 9 adults with learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 7 people using the service.

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

Right support: Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and Independence;

People were kept safe from avoidable harm because staff knew them well and understood how to protect them from abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. People were not able to comment on their safety. However, their body language while interacting with staff was relaxed and positive, which indicated they felt safe. Relatives commented, “I have no worries or concerns about [person’s name] safety” and “[Person’s name] is settled and happy at Acorn Manor.”

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.

People lived safely and free from unwarranted restrictions because the service assessed, monitored and managed safety well. There were comprehensive risk assessments in place covering all aspects of the service and support provided.

Medicines were managed as necessary. Infection control measures were in place. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.

There were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place.

Right care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights;

Staff relationships with people were caring and supportive. Staff provided care that was kind and compassionate. A relative commented, “The care and support [person’s name] receives is absolutely wonderful.”

Right culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive, and empowered lives;

People’s equality, diversity and human rights were respected. The service’s vision and values centred around the people they supported. The organisation’s statement of purpose documented a philosophy of maximising people’s life choices, encouraging independence and people having a sense of worth and value. Our inspection found that the organisation’s philosophy was embedded in Acorn Manor. For example, people were constantly encouraged to lead rich and meaningful lives.

The service worked hard to instil a culture of care in which staff truly valued and promoted people’s individuality, protected their rights and enabled them to develop and flourish.

Staff felt respected, supported, and valued by the registered manager which supported a positive and improvement-driven culture.

A number of methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received. The service made continuous improvements in response to their findings.

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 13 April 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and length of time since the last inspection. 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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Acorn Manor 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.

Acorn Manor is a residential care home for nine people, including two flats for adults with autism, learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. At the time of our inspection there were seven people living at the home.

Acorn Manor 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 care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Acorn Manor offered people a service which was highly personalised and took into account people's complex needs due to their autism. Staff were exceptionally skilled at working with people in the least restrictive way to promote their rights and empower them to live fulfilling lives.

The service ensured people led meaningful and fulfilled lives. This was because activities formed an extremely important part of people’s lives.

The service provided safe care to people. Measures to manage risk were as least restrictive as possible to protect people’s freedom. People’s rights were protected because the service followed the appropriate legal processes. Medicines were safely managed on people’s behalf.

Care files were personalised to reflect people’s personal preferences. Their views and suggestions were taken into account to improve the service.

People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.

Staff relationships with people were caring and supportive. Staff were motivated and inspired to offer care that was kind and compassionate.

There were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place. People received effective care and support from staff who were well trained and competent.

Staff spoke positively about communication and how the registered manager worked well with them and encouraged their professional development.

A number of methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received and made continuous improvements in response to their findings.

We observed how each person had a full and active schedule of activates every day. Activities had been risk assessed and appropriate staffing arranged so that individuals could fully participate. We saw that people were encouraged and supported to be as independent as possible with the support of staff.

We found there were high ratios of staffing at the home due to people's needs, and that staff worked closely with people throughout the day. We saw that people were respected and given choice. People knew the staff well and were relaxed in their company. Staff listened to what people said and gave them time to respond. People were observed to interact confidently with staff and were at ease in their company. We observed and listened to how staff worked with people at the home and found that staff were aware of the different ways that individuals expressed their feelings.

We examined the home's policies and procedures on safeguarding and recognising abuse. We saw that there were procedures in place if abuse were suspected. Records and care files were examined which we found were up to date and accurate.

We found that staff received training and support which enabled them to meet the needs of people who lived at the home. Staff told us they 'really enjoyed' their job, and 'loved working' with the people. One person told us there were 'fantastic training opportunities' and another that they received 'lots of support'.

The provider had quality assurance systems in place which ensured people were safe and changes could be made to improve the care provided. The complaints policy was displayed at various points throughout the home in symbol format. People were able to make clear who they would communicate with if they had any concern.

The home worked closely with other professionals which meant arrangements were in place for advice and guidance in meeting people's needs.

Before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent and staff acted in accordance with their wishes. Throughout our visit we saw staff involving people in their care.

We spent time talking to people who lived at Acorn Manor and observing the interactions between them and staff. Comments included: 'I like living at Acorn Manor', 'The staff are nice and I feel happy here', 'I go out shopping and for walks' and 'I am going to the GP surgery this afternoon for a medication check up.' During our visit, we saw that people appeared relaxed and contented.

Medicines were safely administered. We saw the medication recording records which were appropriately signed by staff when administering a person's medication.

People we spoke to said that staff were supportive and helpful. Staff knew how to respond to specific health and social care needs and were observed to be competent with such. Staff were able to speak confidently about the care practices they delivered and understood how they contributed to people's health and wellbeing.

People were made aware of the complaints system. This was provided in a format that met their needs.