Care service description

Winchester Road provides accommodation and support to four people who have a learning disability and who may also live with a physical health condition. Four people were living at the service one of whom was away on the day of the inspection. People who live at Winchester Road may experience behaviours that challenge staff.

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

Rating at this inspection

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good.

People were kept safe from the risk of abuse. Risks to people had been identified and assessed and staff reflected upon incidents to reduce the likelihood of repetition for people. People’s medicines were managed safely within the service.

There were sufficient staff to provide people’s care and to support them with their activities. Staff’s suitability for their role had been assessed. Staff were appropriately supported in their role, through the provision of an induction, training and supervision.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported by staff to eat and drink sufficient for their needs. People had health action plans in place that identified their healthcare needs and how these were to be met.

People enjoyed positive and caring relationships with staff. People were able to exercise choices about their care. Staff provided people’s care in a manner which also upheld their privacy and dignity.

People’s needs were thoroughly assessed prior to them being offered a placement. Their care plans were then kept under review with them and their family. Staff understood people’s individual behaviours and care was tailored to meet people’s needs. Staff encouraged people to maintain contact with their families. People were supported to be independent. People had their own activity timetable to meet their individual needs and interests.

The complaints policy was displayed for people in an accessible format. People’s feedback on the service was sought and acted upon to improve the service.

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.

People and staff told us the registered manager led the service well. People’s care was provided within an open culture and based upon clear values. Processes were in place to monitor and improve the service people received.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

This inspection was carried out on 23 and 24 June 2015 and was unannounced.

Winchester Road provides accommodation and personal care for up to four people who have learning disabilities.  At the time of our inspection three people were using the service.

Winchester Road has 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.

Staff had received safeguarding training. They told us they understood how to recognise the signs of abuse and knew how to report their concerns if they had any. There was a safeguarding policy in place. Relatives told us their family member felt safe and people behaved in a way which indicated they felt safe.

Risks had been appropriately identified and addressed in relation to people’s specific needs. Staff were aware of people’s individual risk assessments and knew how to mitigate the risks. 

Medicines were  stored safely and administered by staff who had been trained and were competent to do so. There were procedures in place to ensure the safe handling and administration of medicines. 

People were asked for their consent before care or support was provided. Where people did not have the capacity to consent, the provider acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This meant that people’s mental capacity was assessed and decisions were made in their best interest involving relevant people. The registered manager was aware of his responsibilities under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and had made appropriate applications for people using the service.  These safeguards protect the rights of people using services by ensuring that if there are any restrictions to their freedom and liberty, these have been agreed by the local authority as being required to protect the person from harm.

Relatives told us they were pleased with the service and people said they were happy. Staff understood people’s preferences and knew how to communicate with them. People behaved in a way which showed they felt supported and happy. People were supported to choose their meals. Snacks and drinks were available in between meals. Staff were kind and caring and respected people’s dignity. People’s independence was promoted wherever possible by staff.

Support plans were detailed and included a range of documents covering every aspect of a person’s care and support. The support plans were used to ensure that people received care and support in line with their needs and wishes. We saw this reflected in the support observed during the visit. 

There was evidence in support plans that the provider had responded to health needs and this had led to positive outcomes for people.

The registered manager was liked and respected by people, staff and relatives. There was good morale amongst staff who worked as a team in an open and transparent culture. Staff felt respected and listened to by the registered manager. Regular staff meetings meant that staff were involved in the development of future plans. There was a positive and caring atmosphere in the home and effective and responsive planning and delivery of care and support.