SENSE - 129 Neale Avenue

Updated 18 March 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

We received information of concern about infection control and prevention measures at this service. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 23 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 18 March 2021

SENSE 129 Neale Avenue is a ‘care home’ for people with learning disabilities. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The home accommodates up to six people in one adapted residential house in a residential area. At the time of the inspection there were six people living there. 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.

This inspection took place on the 16 and 18 October 2018 and was unannounced. We had previously inspected this service in May 2016, at that inspection the service was rated ‘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.

The service has a positive ethos and an open culture. The registered manager is approachable, understands the needs of the people in the home, and listens to staff and relatives. There are effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and drive improvements.

People are consistently protected from the risk of harm and receive their prescribed medicines safely. Staff are appropriately recruited and there are enough staff to provide care and support to people to meet their needs.

The care that people receive continues to be effective. Staff have access to the support, supervision and training that they require to work effectively in their roles. People are supported to maintain good health and nutrition and live fulfilled lives.

People have developed positive relationships with the staff. The staff are friendly, passionate about their work and caring; they treat people with respect, kindness, dignity and compassion. People have detailed personalised plans of care in place to enable staff to provide consistent care and support in line with people’s personal preferences.

Staff know their responsibilities as defined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005). People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People are supported to use communication aids and information is provided to people in an accessible format to enable them to make decisions about their care and support.

People know how to raise a concern or make a complaint and the provider has effective systems in place to manage any complaints received. Information is available in various formats to meet the communication needs of the individuals.