Autism Together - 86 Allport Road

The home is a detached house in the area of Bromborough on the Wirral. At the time of our inspection there were three people living there. The two-storey domestic type property is close to shops, public transport and other local amenities.

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

We spoke with two of the people who lived in the home and two relatives who all gave positive feedback about the home and the staff who worked in it. We saw that people were living busy, independent lives, supported by a willing staff team who were encouraging and supportive.

Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed training had been provided to enable them to support the people with their specific needs. We found staff were knowledgeable about the support needs of people in their care. We observed staff providing support to people throughout our inspection visit. We saw they had positive relationships with the people in their care and they were guests in the people’s home, respecting people’s space and choices.

The registered manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions. We saw during the inspection that people were supported to make their own decisions and their choices were respected. Assistive technology was in place to maximise people’s independence.

Care plans were person centred and driven by the people who lived in the home. They detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for. They were regularly reviewed and updated as required.

We found medication procedures at the home were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medication administration was countersigned by two staff members to ensure safe administration.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits of the service and staff meetings to seek the views of staff about the service. The staff team were consistent and long standing. They demonstrated that they were committed to providing the best care possible for the people living in the home.

A single inspector carried out this inspection. The focus of the inspection was to answer five key questions, "Is the service safe?". "Is the service effective?". "Is the service caring/". "Is the service responsive?". "Is the service well-led?"

86 Allport Road is a large detached property and home to three people.

We talked with one person living at the home and generally with the others who lived there. All the people using the service appeared relaxed and content. We also talked with two members of staff on duty. We looked at various records including care plans for the people living there.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people using the service and the staff told us, what we observed and the records we looked at.

If you want to see the evidence that supports our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of the people living at the home and a member of the management team was available or on call in case of emergencies.

Staff had been appropriately and properly recruited, ensuring that Criminal Records (CRB) or Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) records had been checked.

Staff were trained in safeguarding principles and procedures and the people living in the home had been given information in easy read format to help them raise a concern if they were worried about anything. The home had a safeguarding policy which was regularly monitored.

Is the service effective?

One person told us that they were happy living in the home and staff supported them to do what they wanted.

Staff had received training to meet the needs of the people living at the home.

Is the service caring?

People had been involved in the development of their care plans and continued to be involved throughout their stay in the home. We noted that people's preferences about, for example, activities, room layouts or clothing choices, were respected by the staff. The people who used the service people were supported, where necessary, to make these choices and decisions.

People had access to activities that were important to them and had been supported to maintain relationships with their friends and relatives. One person spoke with us about their work placement and going regularly to church which was important to them.

Is the service well-led?

Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the organisation.

Quality monitoring processes were in place to ensure the service continually monitors progress and improvement.

The home completed various audits throughout the year, which contributed to an annual audit. An action plan had been produced to address any areas of concern raised through all of the audit and feedback processes.

We looked at the people's care records and found they provided assessments and clear guidelines for the staff to enable them to support the people in their care.

All the relatives and people we spoke with told us they were part of the care planning process and they regularly attended care reviews and best interest meetings. We found that all staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the issues of consent and had received training.

We found that the home managed medicines appropriately and had systems in place to ensure the secure storage and safe administration of medicines.

We found the home was of a suitable design and layout for the needs of the people at the home and that it was warm, clean and secure.

We saw the home had a complaints procedure which was accessible to the people at the home. One person told us that when they had raised concerns they had been dealt with to their satisfaction.

We saw that there were easy methods of communication around the house including a wellbeing board and a help board to encourage people to communicate when they felt unable to talk. Each person also had a picture activity diary and there was a board for pictures of staff and visitors. People were encouraged to ask for help when required.

We found staff speaking to people and caring for them in a respectful and inclusive manner. People were involved in their care planning and had regular reviews. The people who lived at Allport Road went out every day to Community Vocational Services

(CVS) and one of them went to work twice a week.

We looked at three care records and found that they provided clear guidance on the assessment, care and support planning for each person in the house. We spoke to staff about peoples care and found that the records reflected what we were told and that

information was up to date.

We spoke to the Registered Manager, the team leader and two members of staff. One member of staff told us "I have worked here for ten years and I have watched these people become more independent every day". People are encouraged to be as independent as possible.