Stonecroft

Updated 22 January 2024

Stonecroft provides short term respite to young adults who are living with a learning disability and also have other complex health needs. It is registered to accommodation 5 people. At the time of this assessment, 5 people were using the service. The respite service is located in a building that also accommodates a day centre run by the same provider which is often visited by people staying for respite. Stonecroft is known to people using the service as the ‘Chaos Hotel’, we will therefore refer to Stonecroft as the Chaos Hotel in this report. Our assessment activity started on the 29 January 2024. We assessed 6 quality statements. The assessment was prompted by an incident in which a person using the service sustained an injury. Concerns about the incident had been investigated and lessons learnt to ensure changes were made which improved care for others. There were some quality assurance systems in place to measure the quality and safety of the care being provided. However, there was scope to develop these further to ensure they provided adequate scrutiny of areas such as training compliance. The provider was taking action to address this. The service was able to demonstrate they were meeting some of the principles of Right support, right care, right culture. For example, people were being supported to develop their independence and the systems in place helped to ensure people were supported to participate in their chosen leisure activities on a regular basis and to access their local community. For example, we saw that people went swimming, helped in food banks and charity shops. There were effective systems and processes in place to make sure people were protected from abuse and overall relatives were confident that risks were managed safely. Staffing levels were appropriate, and recruitment processes promoted safety. Staff anticipated and responded to deterioration in people’s health. Staff spoke of effective leadership and a positive culture.

Updated 22 January 2024

We spoke with 2 people both of whom were extremely pleased with the service provided and told us they felt safe. Their comments included, “Yes, I feel safe, and they do a good job” and “I have never felt scared, and I think staff look after everyone really good. They treat me nicely”. Relatives were overall confident that risks were managed safely. One relative spoke with us about a recent incident involving their family told us, “I have exchanged emails with the management, spoken, and met in person with them, and they have told me some strategies that they have implemented to prevent it happening again… I feel reassured by this, feel that they have been honest with me…. They listened to my concerns and have taken them on board. Feedback from relatives confirmed that staffing levels helped to ensure people were kept safe. For example, one said, “They always supervise him when he is eating. During the night they check on him at least every 30 minutes as he has epilepsy” and another said, “There seems to be enough staff, I’ve never had any concerns about that”. Relatives also told us staff were well trained and this helped to ensure their family member received competent care and support. For example, 1 relative told us staff were confident in the use of Makaton which helped to ensure that their family member was able to communicate their needs and wishes. They told us, “They [Staff] know what they are doing… he does more in respite than he will do for me at home”. Relatives were confident that staff were able to anticipate their family members needs and provide care and support that helped to prevent a deterioration in their health. One family member said, “She is unable to communicate, but they are able to anticipate her needs. No problems” and another told us, “They have an epilepsy protocol, and don’t hesitate to call the ambulance if they are concerned about him”.