Archived: Hoffmann Foundation for Autism - 69 Castleton Avenue

Hoffman Foundation for Autism – 69 Castleton Avenue is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for five people. The home provides care and support for people who have a learning disability, some of whom have mental health needs. On the day of our visit there were five people living in the home. Public transport and a range of shops are located within walking distance.

The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [CQC] 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.

People were treated with respect and staff engaged with people in a friendly and courteous manner. Throughout our visit we observed caring and supportive relationships between staff and people using the service. People told us staff were kind to them. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity.

There were procedures for safeguarding people. Staff knew how to safeguard the people they supported and cared for. Arrangements were in place to make sure sufficient numbers of skilled staff were deployed at all times. People’s individual needs and risks were identified and managed as part of their plan of care and support to minimise the likelihood of harm.

Care plans reflected people’s current needs. They contained the information staff needed to provide people with the care and support they wanted and required. People were supported to choose and take part in a range of activities of their choice. People chose what they wanted to eat and people were involved in the preparation of their own meals.

People were encouraged and supported to make decisions for themselves whenever possible and their independence was upheld and promoted. People were provided with the support they needed to maintain links with their family and friends.

People were supported to maintain good health. They had access to appropriate healthcare services that monitored their health and provided people with appropriate support, treatment and specialist advice when needed. Systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely.

Staff were appropriately recruited and supported to provide people with individualised care and support. Staff received a range of training to enable them to be skilled and competent to carry out their roles and responsibilities. Staff told us they enjoyed working in the home and received the support and training they needed to carry out their roles and responsibilities.

Staff understood the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). They knew about the systems in place for making decisions in people’s best interest when they were unable to make one or more decisions about their care and/or other aspects of their lives.

People had opportunities to feedback about the service. There were systems in place to regularly assess, monitor and improve the quality of the services provided for people.

During the inspection we spoke with three people who used the service, the registered manager and two care staff. We also reviewed support records for people using the service and records relating to the management of the home, which included three staff files.

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

Is the service safe?

Staff were knowledgeable in safeguarding vulnerable adults procedures and were able to recognise signs of potential abuse. The service had a system to respond to allegations of abuse and had details of the local safeguarding team.

The provider and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Although no DoLS applications had been made, staff were able to describe the circumstances when an application should be made and knew how to submit one.

Is the service effective?

The staff had the skills and experience required to meet the needs of people who used the service. The team had access to training courses to update their knowledge and become familiar with any changes in policies or procedures. Staff told us that they had access to training and had attended training in the past year.

Is the service caring?

People who used the service were involved in decisions about their care and support. Staff supported people and advised them, however the person who used the service made the final decision. Staff told us, " [people who used the service] will tell us what they like and don't like."

Is the service responsive?

The service liaised with other health professionals to meet the needs of people who used the service. People's individual needs were assessed and staff were aware of their needs.

Is the service well-led?

There were processes in place to monitor and improve the quality of service delivery.

Each person had a plan of care that had been regularly reviewed, and included information about the individual support and care that people who used the service needed. There were enough skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. Medication was stored and administered safely.

We saw people were supported to make decisions, which included what they wanted to eat, and what they wanted to do. Staff respected people's privacy and knew about their roles and responsibilities in meeting the needs of the people they supported. We saw people who used the service approach staff without hesitation and accessed their bedrooms and communal areas freely within the home.

People's health, safety and welfare were protected as they received the advice and treatment that they needed from a range of healthcare and social care professionals.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and to make improvements when needed. People knew how to make a complaint.

People said they liked the meals provided and were involved in preparing them. The kitchen was clean and the menu was varied. Staff were aware of the preferences of people. A range of activities had been provided. People had been on a holiday this year and they enjoyed the experience. People said their healthcare needs had been attended to.

People said they liked their bedrooms. Bedrooms had been personalised with people's pictures and ornaments. The premises were clean. The required safety inspections had been carried out.

The staff records seen indicated that staff had been provided with essential training. Staff informed us that they worked well as a team and felt supported by their manager. Staff were aware of the safeguarding policy and procedure aimed at protecting people from abuse. People said they knew they could talk to the manager if they were unhappy or had complaints. The home had a complaints policy and a record of complaints. Complaints made had been promptly responded to.