Archived: L'Arche Kent Cana

The 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 using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection, the service was rated ‘Good.’

Rating at this inspection

At this inspection we found the service remained 'Good'.

Why the service is rated Good

People had lived at the service for some considerable time and continued to feel safe and well looked after. Staff were aware of how to protect people from abuse and had received training to keep people safe. The service was clean and everyone was supported to help with the domestic tasks. Checks were made on the premises to make sure it was safe, including fire and health and safety checks. Adaptations were made to the service to support people with their mobility such as additional hand rails and a walk in shower.

People were supported to do what they wanted to do and staff helped them in the least restrictive ways to take risks and enjoy their lives.

People enjoyed varied activities of their choice and were able to access the community when they wanted. People were at the centre of the service and encouraged to follow their goals and dreams; they went out regularly, participated in day activities and met their friends and family.

There was enough staff on duty to ensure people received the care they needed. Staff were trained and checked before they started to work at the service to ensure they were safe to work with people. People told us the staff were good and they knew them well.

There was an emphasis on person centred care and people were treated with dignity, respect and compassion. People’s support and care plans were reviewed regularly and staff responded to people’s changing needs. Support plans were clear with detailed information to make sure people received the right support.

Everyone had a health care plan and information to take with them should they need to go to hospital. People were supported to keep healthy and received their medicines safely.

The registered manager told us that they were in the process of asking people how they wanted to be cared for at the end of their lives. People’s records were stored securely to ensure confidential information was protected.

Staff treated people with mutual respect and equality making sure that everyone had choices and was involved in their care. Everyone was given the opportunity to voice their opinions on the service and to be involved in the service. People, staff and visitors told us about the L’Arche community and how they met up with old friends and staff who used to work at the service. They described how the community enriched people’s lives and form lasting friendships.

The service had a registered manager who was supported by a very experience senior manager in the service. Staff told us that the management were always available for guidance and support. Regular staff meetings and supervision ensured staff received the support they needed to carry out their roles. The management team carried out audits regularly to assess the quality of the care being provided and took any required action to continuously improve the service.

Everyone was treated as an individual and there was an atmosphere of equality throughout the service. Staff told us how the service celebrated different faiths and encouraged people to follow their own beliefs. The culture of the service was open and inclusive and there were strong links with the community, such as the local church, people in the village and the neighbours.

Incidents or accidents were recorded and were reviewed and action taken to reduce the risks to people living at the service. People were able to express if they were unhappy but there had been no complaints since the last inspection. The complaints procedure was clear with pictures to help people to understand how they could raise any issues.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

People were encouraged to be fully involved in the running of the service and were taking part in activities including cleaning the house and cooking. One person said that they had responsibility for some health and safety checks which included checking the fire system and the vehicles.

People told us about their recent holidays and one person said that they took the opportunity to visit their relatives while on holiday. People's hobbies and interests were supported and people had support to achieve the personal goals and aspirations.

People maintained good health because the service worked closely with health and social care professionals. There was enough skilled and experienced staff to meet peoples' needs and staff engaged with people in a calm, respectful and reassuring manner. One person told us 'I've got quite a few friends here. I like (the manager) a lot. She is nice.'

The robust quality assurance and monitoring systems ensured that the service was safe. The home was safe and well maintained and suited people's needs.

People told us or indicated that they felt safe and well looked after. People told us or indicated that they could express any problems to the staff who would listen and act. People indicated that they thought the staff were kind and caring. Staffing was planned around individual needs and activities.

People looked happy and relaxed in the company of each other and staff. We saw that people took part in a range of community based activities that they enjoyed and were involved in the local and wider community. People had support to take part in the cooking and cleaning and had the opportunity to go food shopping and prepare their own meals. Everyone was fully involved and included in the running of the service.

People's health needs were supported and the service worked closely with health and social care professionals to maintain and improve people's health and well being.