4 January 2018
During a routine inspection
At the last inspection in October 2015 the service was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.
The care service had 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. We saw that people with learning disabilities and autism who used the service were able to live as ordinary a life as any citizen.
We spoke with two people who used the service and three relatives who all gave positive feedback about the service and the staff who worked in it.
Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed training had been provided to enable them to support people with their specific needs. We found staff were knowledgeable about the support needs of the people that came into the service for respite care.
We found medication procedures at the home were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Following one minor medication error, robust procedures had been followed to minimise any further errors.
The staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions. We saw that people were supported to make their own decisions and their choices were respected.
Care plans were person centred and developed with the people who came for respite care in the service. They detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for. They were regularly reviewed and updated as required.
The outcomes coordinator and registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits of the service and staff meetings to seek the views of staff about the service. The staff team were consistent and long standing. They demonstrated that they were committed to providing the best care possible for the people accessing the service.
The future of the service was uncertain as they had been informed that they were under review by Cheshire East Council and that the current accommodation would be changing in the next year. This impacted on everyone and all of the people we spoke with; people using the service, their relatives and the staff were worried about this. The relatives told us that they were dependent on the service and were worried about the negative impact on their relatives and themselves if the service changed or closed.