Stroud Court Community Trust

Updated 29 August 2018

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 16, 17 & 23 July 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed information available to us about this service. The registered provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed the notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

We spoke with seven people about their experiences of living at Stroud Court Community Trust. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, facilities manager, training coordinator, two financial staff, the chief executive officer and four care staff. We also spoke with six relatives by telephone and received feedback from two healthcare professionals about the service.

We reviewed five people's care records as well as records relating to the management of medicines, complaints and how the registered persons monitored the quality of the service. We also looked at staff records relating to their professional development and recruitment.

Updated 29 August 2018

Stroud Court Community Trust is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. There were 33 people of various ages living with autism at Stroud Court Community Trust. People lived in one of several types of accommodation on the 17 acre site according to their needs. The care service has 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. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

Feedback from people’s relatives was overwhelmingly positive. They complimented the caring nature of staff and felt that the service was well-led. They praised the approach of staff and stated that they felt their relatives were safe living at Stroud Court Community Trust. Staff understood the values and vision of the service. The senior management team had reviewed the quality of people’s lives and were making progress in their plans to update people’s accommodation. They were implementing a new approach to encourage people to be fully involved in their daily activities.

People’s needs had been assessed and their support requirements and preferences were recorded in detail to provide staff with the guidance they needed to support people. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The service’s policies and systems supported this practice. Effective systems were in place to manage people’s medicines so that they received them safely and on time. People were supported to access health care services and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Sufficient numbers of staff were available to ensure people’s well-being and for them to safely be involved in activities. New staff were suitably vetted and trained before they supported people. Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and had been trained to carry out their role. Staff told us they felt supported and trained and had access to the information they needed to support people. They understood their responsibility to report concerns and poor practices.

The registered manager was supported by a senior management team and board of trustees. The service had an open and progressive culture to improve the quality of lives for people. Systems were in place to identify shortfalls in the service and drive improvement. People and their relative’s views were valued and acted if any concerns had been identified.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.