Archived: Walsingham Support - Wedgwood Road

Updated 1 November 2017

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 inspection took place on 19 September 2017 and was announced. We planned the visit with the registered manager as this is a small service and we needed to be sure that staff and service users would be at home. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

This is a small service which is managed in tandem with Walsingham Support West Cumbria Domiciliary Care. This service is a specialist service for the four tenants in the property. People who live in the service have a learning disability or have a diagnosis of autism. The people who live at Wedgewood road also have had some difficulties managing their emotions and behaviours due to their disorders. This means they need very specialised support packages.

This meant that these four people do not always find it easy to communicate verbally with people they do not know. People were asked but no one wanted to talk to us on the day. We saw two of the four people who lived in the flats and had very brief exchanges with them. We spoke to one person by telephone after the inspection.

Before the inspection the provider completed 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 plan to make. We also reviewed the information we held about the service, such as notifications we had received from the registered provider. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We also spoke with social workers, health care practitioners and commissioners of care. We planned the inspection using this information.

We read all four care files and also looked at health care files and person centred plans. We read in depth all four specialised plans for managing behavioural issues. We checked on medicines managed on the behalf of people who lived in the home. We also looked at individual menu plans, daily and weekly planners and daily notes.

We met five members of staff, the registered manager and a location manager on the day of the visit. We read three recruitment files and four staff development files when we visited the main office.

We also looked at quality monitoring records, records related to fire and food safety and records of individual financial transactions.

Updated 1 November 2017

Wedgewood Road provides personal care to up to four people living with autism. People live in their own tenanted properties on the site. Care is provided up to twenty four hours a day as people have complex needs and may have to live with behaviours that can be challenging to themselves and others.

This was an announced inspection that took place on 19th September 2017. At the last inspection in September 2015, the service was rated as Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service had a registered manager who also manages another service for Walsingham. 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.

Staff had received training on ensuring people were kept free from harm and abuse. They were confident in management dealing with any issues appropriately. Walsingham had a confidential phone line for staff to report any concerns.

Good risk assessments and emergency planning were in place. Accidents and incidents were monitored and we noted that these had lessened in this service.

We saw that staffing levels were suitable to meet the assessed needs of people in the service. Staff recruitment was thorough with all checks completed before new staff had access to vulnerable people. The organisation had robust disciplinary procedures in place.

Medicines were well managed. People had their medicines reviewed by their GP and specialist health care providers.

Staff were trained in infection control and supported people in their own environment.

We had evidence to show that the staff team at Wedgewood road were supported to develop appropriately. Staff were keen to learn and we saw that induction, training, appraisal and supervision helped them to give good levels of care and support.

Staff received good levels of training around principles of care in relation to people living with a learning disability and/ or autism. They were trained in specific techniques to support each person. They also had general training on supporting people with behaviours that challenge. Restraint had not been used in this service. Consent was sought, where possible. The manager and the local authority worked together to ensure the service operated within the Mental Capacity Act 2005

People were supported to get good health care support from their own GP, specialist nurses and consultants. Staff worked with people to support and encourage them to visit dentists and other health care providers.

People in the service lived in their own specially adapted tenancies that were secure and safe for people living with their particular disorder.

Staff we spoke to displayed a caring attitude. They understood how to support people and help them maintain their dignity and privacy. Staff showed both empathy and respect for people living with the symptoms of autism. People in the service had access to advocates.

Everyone supported by the service had been appropriately assessed. Each person had person centred plans, behavioural plans and support plans that staff followed closely. New plans had been put in place that were comprehensive yet were easy to follow.

People were encouraged to go out and to engage, where possible, with sport, learning and social events. Staff were aware of how difficult this was for people and planning for activities was done slowly and in depth.

Complaint procedures were in place. There had been no complaints received about the service.

The service had a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. The day to day management was delegated to a location manager and a deputy manager who were also suitably qualified and experienced. Staff said that management visited the service regularly and were aware of how things were in the service. Staff understood the scheme of delegation.

Staff displayed the values that Walsingham’s managers expected. The staff team understood the needs of people with autism and worked within the culture of the organisation.

Wedgewood Road followed the quality monitoring processes of the organisation. There were regular internal and external audits of all aspects of the service. Changes were put into place after evaluation of the service.

Good recording systems were in place and these covered all the support needs of the people in the service.