29 Briants Avenue

Updated 19 July 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Disabilities Trust - 29 Briants Avenue is a care home (without nursing) which is registered to provide a service for up to three people with learning disabilities. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. The previous registered manager left in May 2019. The service was overseen by the senior staff and an assistant manager. The provider had plans underway to recruit a new manager. This meant the provider was legally responsible for how the service was run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

Prior to the inspection we looked at all the information we had collected about the service including previous inspection reports and notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We also contacted five community professionals for feedback and received one response. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the assistant manager and received feedback from three members of the staff team. We observed interactions between staff and people living at the service. We carried out a tour of the premises. We reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service for example, audits and quality assurance reports; records of accidents, incidents; compliments and complaints, and maintenance records. We looked at two staff recruitment files and staff support information. We looked at two people's support plans and associated records.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the assistant manager to validate the evidence found. We looked at training information, quality assurance audits, meeting minutes and spoke to two relatives.

Updated 19 July 2019

About the service

Disabilities Trust - 29 Briants Avenue is a care home without nursing that provides a service for up to three people with learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were three people living at the service.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

We have made a recommendation about keeping records and evidence of best interest decisions in line with the MCA legal framework.

People were kept safe living at the service. Relatives felt their family members were kept safe in the service. The assistant manager and staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents or allegations of abuse. Risks to people’s personal safety had been assessed and plans were in place to minimise those risks. Staff recruitment and staffing levels supported people to stay safe while working towards their goals and going about their lives. The management of medicine was safe, and people received their prescribed medicine on time. There were contingency plans in place to respond to emergencies. The premises were cleaned and well maintained.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People received effective care and support from staff who knew them well. The assistant manager had planned and booked training to ensure staff had appropriate knowledge to support people. People enjoyed the food and could choose what they ate and where to eat. People had their healthcare needs identified and were able to access healthcare professionals such as their GP.

We observed kind and friendly interactions between staff and people. Relatives confirmed staff were caring and respected their privacy and dignity. The assistant manager was working with the staff team to ensure caring and kind support was consistent. People and their families were involved in the planning of their care.

The service encouraged feedback from people, families, and professionals, which they used to make improvements to the service and protect people against the risks of receiving unsafe and inappropriate care and treatment. People were encouraged to live a fulfilled life with activities of their choice and were supported to keep in contact with their families. People and staff had meetings to ensure consistency in action to be taken. The staff team had daily communication to discuss matters relating to the service and people’s care.

The assistant manager had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the running of the service and the quality of the service being delivered. With the help of the staff team, they took actions to address any issues. Staff felt the assistant manager was supportive and open with them and communicated what was happening at the service and with the people living there.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection the service was rated good (Report was published 31 August 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.