National Star College - Ullenwood

Updated 6 February 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This was an unannounced inspection which was completed on 27, 28 and 29 November 2017. The inspection was conducted by three adult social care inspectors, a pharmacy inspector, a specialist advisor and an expert-by-experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

The previous inspection took place in June 2015; there were no breaches of regulation at that time.

Prior to the inspection we looked at the information we had about the service. This information included the statutory notifications that the provider had sent to CQC. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they planned to make. We received this on time and reviewed the information to assist in our planning of the inspection.

We contacted five health and social care professionals to obtain their views on the service and how it was being managed. This included professionals from the local authority and the GP practice.

During the inspection we spoke with 27 young people using the service and looked at the records of 15 people and those relating to the running of the service. This included staffing rotas, policies and procedures, quality checks that had been completed, supervision and training information for staff. We also attended one young person’s transition review.

We spoke with 26 members of staff and the registered manager of the service. We spoke with eight relatives to obtain their views about the service.

Updated 6 February 2018

The National Star College is a charity which is registered to provide accommodation for up to 88 men and women with a physical disability and/ or learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. The college also offers short breaks during college holidays to people with a physical and/or learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were 77 people staying at the college.

The inspection took place on 27, 28 and 29 November 2017. This was an unannounced inspection. The service was last inspected in June 2015 and was rated ‘Outstanding’ overall. At this inspection the service has again been rated ‘Outstanding’ overall. Our inspection looked at the residential accommodation, healthcare provision and the care and support for students outside their educational curriculum. Across the college campus there are seven residential units which were accessible to people who use wheelchairs. The college was also registered to provide the regulated activity of personal care. At the time of our inspection no one living in their own home was in receipt of personal care from the college.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.

The National Star College is an outstanding service. It is focussed on the individual needs of the people. The service ensured that everyone received good quality, care regardless of diagnosis, age, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or social circumstances.

The vision of National Star Foundation and the National Star College was to promote “A world in which people with disabilities are able to realise their potential as equal and active citizens in control of their lives”. All staff and senior management demonstrated this clear vision and a highly positive person centred culture was seen throughout. Staff had set high standards for themselves and this promoted an exceptionally positive culture which challenged disability perceptions and had improved the confidence of people and the opportunities available to them.

People were supported to focus on making a positive contribution to others, the college and the community and achieve their potential. We saw examples of young people coaching school age students, showcasing work skills in several of the provider’s social enterprises and external work placements. Young people had been supported to actively campaign to improve rights and entitlements for people with disabilities. Throughout the inspection, we found young people and staff were motivated and passionate about equality and empowering people to live the lives they want.

People and carers spoke overwhelmingly of the positive support, guidance and healthcare interventions people had received. They were full of praise for the staff in terms of their kindness and compassion. People were 'very happy' with the service they received. We received positive comments about their views and experiences. People told us they felt safe because the staff were "Caring and enjoyed what they did". People and their families viewed the staff as experts in their knowledge and skills when supporting people with complex health needs.

Outstanding safeguarding systems and processes had been implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of the people using the service. People's risks were continually assessed, identified and managed exceptionally well and their care needs were met to a very high standard. The provider encouraged and empowered students and staff to have the confidence to suggest innovative and creative solutions to manage risk and keep people safe so they could live their lives as they chose. Staff promoted a culture that anything was possible within the framework of assessing risk, without being risk averse.

Where possible, people were involved in the planning of their care. If this was not possible, people's representatives were encouraged to be involved. People's care plans were detailed and personalised which helped staff deliver the support people wanted and needed. For a large number of people, this had resulted in improvements to their health, wellbeing and abilities which in turn had meant people had become more independent. People had very good access to health care professionals when required and their medicines were managed well.

People were cared for by staff who knew them really well and who had been exceptionally well trained to support people. Staff were very well supported and valued by the provider who invested well in their training and welfare. The service had developed very thorough training programmes for their staff. These were bespoke to the people living at the College and ensured staff were extremely well skilled to meet the needs of the people living at the College. The training systems developed had received local and national recognition. There was a strong sense of "family" and team work. Staff were proud of the work they did and were fully committed to ensuring people were at the centre of everything that took place at National Star College.

People and relatives we spoke with told us staff were outstandingly caring. They used words such as “Compassionate”, “Caring”, “Excellent” and “Highly motivated” to describe the staff. People and their families spoke of a service that was tailor-made for them and their families saying that staff went 'the extra mile'. Care staff spoke highly about the service provided. One said, “I love working here”. Another person said, “I am proud to be working here”. People told us they would recommend the service to others. There was a genuine sense of fondness and respect between the staff and people.

Staff were constantly looking for ideas on how to improve people's quality of life. Assistive technologies were used creatively and innovative technologies were developed with young people to enhance their communication and independence. People's aspirations were explored with them and developed. Staff worked hard to make sure, that where it was possible, people had opportunities to lead as full a life as possible. They made sure daily activities were tailored to meet people's individual needs, preferences and abilities. Staff made sure people had opportunities to enjoy themselves. People's suggestions and ideas were sought and valued when it came to planning these activities.

The registered manager and extended leadership team offered exceptional leadership and had a clear vision about the direction of the service. They were highly committed to improving people's lives and ensuring people had the best care they could receive, and expected the same high standards from the staff who were also committed to these shared values. The management team were very much part of the overall care team at National Star College. They were very involved in people's care, visible and approachable. Staff at National Star College clearly understood their role and worked hard to promote a homely atmosphere in the service.

There was a robust quality assurance system in place to ensure people received the best possible service. The registered manager worked closely with partner agencies and services to promote best practice within the service and make a positive impact to people’s lives. The service was constantly striving to innovate to ensure they were providing the best possible care and support to the people living at National Star College. The registered manager had developed a strong leadership team within the service to ensure the high standards implemented were sustained in their absence.