3 August 2021
During a routine inspection
Abington View is a care home providing personal care for up to three people with an acquired brain injury. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection two people were living at Abington View, of which one person was receiving support with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People spoke positively about their care and support, a person summarised their view of Abington View by saying, "This is definitely the golden nugget."
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were at the centre of all decisions and were fully involved in all aspects of their care. Best practice guidance assessment tools for people with an acquired brain injury (ABI) were used to continually assess and keep under review people’s needs. The outcome on assessment was used to develop tailored care pathways and strategies to improve people’s health and welfare, which included maximising the benefit of prescribed medication, and dietary needs. People were supported by a range of health care professionals, who worked in a person-centred way, working collaboratively with all interested parties to achieve the best outcomes for people. Staff had the appropriate knowledge and skills and utilised their lead roles to promote and share good practice for the benefit of those using the service.
A positive approach to risk taking enabled people to maximise their independence and control over their daily lives. People were fully involved in assessing risk, and in agreeing strategies to reduce risks. People’s medicines were managed safely, and people were involved in aspects of medicine management. People were supported by a small team of staff whose recruitment, induction and ongoing training and development promoted good outcomes for people. Abington View was well maintained. Infection prevention and control measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic had been fully communicated with all relevant parties, and potential risks to people and staff had been assessed, and government guidance followed.
People spoke positively about the support and care provided by staff. People had a dedicated keyworker who they had developed a strong and trusting relationship with. This provided people with the confidence to share their views and enabled staff to signpost and seek support and guidance from the most appropriate source.
People were at the heart of all decisions made, and a person-centred approach enabled people to receive tailored support and care to maximise their potential. People were active members within the community, in both paid employment and voluntary work. People accessed a range of leisure and recreational activities. People were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests and maintain contact with those important to them.
The provider was committed to achieving positive outcomes for people. Quality monitoring of the service both internally and by external organisation enabled the provider to target resources and drive improvement. External organisations for ABI had assessed the service as outstanding based on its criteria and standards. The registered manager worked collaboratively with external partner agencies for the benefit of those using the service, and continually sought to develop their skills and knowledge. Professionals involved with people at the home spoke positively about the service, and its commitment to achieving the best outcomes for people through partnership working.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 29 September 2019).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
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.