Parkview

Parkview is a residential care home. It provides personal care and support for up to nine people who have learning disabilities and associated conditions, such as autistic spectrum disorders. There were eight people living at the service at the time of inspection.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service:

The registered manager had good oversight into the day to day culture of the home. There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The registered manager was a visible presence within the home and had a good working relationship with people and staff.

People received personalised care from staff who had a good understanding of their needs. Staff received appropriate training and support in their role. They were confident in providing effective support around people’s behaviour and anxiety.

The provider assessed people’s needs and reviewed people’s care plans to ensure they were receiving appropriate support. Guidance from professionals was incorporated into people’s care plans where required.

Risks to people were assessed and reduced and there were systems in place to protect people from the risk of suffering abuse or avoidable harm.

People’s communication needs were met by staff who understood their preferences and motivations.

People were supported to access healthcare services and overcome any fears they had around accessing appointments or meeting professionals. People were supported to achieve good outcomes in relation to their health and nutrition.

People were supported to follow their interests, build their skills and explore their independence. There were enough staff in place to meet people’s needs and support them in their daily routines and activities. People were encouraged to develop friendships and maintain contact with families. People were treated with dignity and respect and given privacy when they wanted time alone.

People were involved in the planning and reviewing of their care. The provider involved people in developing the service and monitoring the quality of care.

The environment at Parkview was suitable for people’s needs. People were comfortable in the home and had the opportunity to decorate their personal spaces as they wished.

Staff understood the need to gain appropriate consent to care. 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.

There were appropriate systems in place to handle complaints and listen to people’s feedback.

The provider had a proven history of providing responsive and empathetic end of life care.

Rating at last inspection:

The service was rated good at our last inspection (17 November 2016)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Parkview is a care home without nursing that provides care for up to nine people with learning difficulties, some of whom also have needs on the autistic spectrum. Twenty four hour support is provided by a regular team of staff.

A registered manager was in place as required in the service. 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.

Relatives and staff felt the service was very well managed and praised the registered manager and her management team. The registered manager was felt to be very accessible and listened to the views of others and acted on them. Staff found the registered manager approachable and felt well supported by the management team. People had very positive relationships with staff and management, which enhanced their day to day experience.

People's rights and freedom were actively protected and promoted by the service. Staff had a good understanding of relevant legislation and supported people’s rights in the course of their work. The environment and grounds had been adapted and developed in response to people's needs. This enabled them to enjoy as much freedom as possible.

Staff worked proactively and responded to people’s needs in a timely way so their anxiety was minimised, and they were very skilled at supporting people to manage their behaviour. Staff recognised the signs or triggers for particular behaviours and offered reassurance or diverted people to something they enjoyed. People’s support was provided based on very detailed care plans and supporting documents, such as risk assessments, which reflected their needs, wishes and aspirations. Support and care were provided in a person-centred way and people's individuality was recognised and valued.

Interactions showed staff and people had positive relationships and were encouraged to make decisions and choices about their daily lives. Staff respected people's dignity and privacy and worked calmly alongside them. We saw numerous instances of warmth and humour between people and staff and lots of smiling and laughter from people in the course of activities and interactions. People accessed a wide range of activities, outings, trips and holidays and were involved in choosing these.

Health care was outstanding. People’s health needs were very effectively monitored and supported. Staff had identified major health concerns and acted promptly to ensure people received the medical tests, care and treatment they needed with due regard for their best interests.

People were kept safe because health and safety issues were effectively monitored, servicing and safety checks were carried out regularly and prompt action was taken to address issues. Staff understood their role in keeping people safe from harm and knew how to recognise and report any concerns about abuse. They were confident management would respond appropriately and act on anything they reported. Where possible, people had also attended training to enhance their awareness of keeping themselves safe.

The service was subject to effective monitoring by the management team and the provider, to ensure standards were maintained. Identified issues were actioned in a timely way. The management team worked to develop and improve the service to ensure people’s changing needs were met. The views of people, families and staff about the service, were sought and acted upon.

The staff recruitment process was robust and appropriate checks took place. Recruitment files contained the required evidence of the process. Staff received a thorough induction based on the national Care Certificate competencies. They received ongoing training through the provider’s rolling programme. Staff were well supported through supervision, team meetings and annual appraisals. They felt valued, were highly motivated and enthusiastic. The provider operated additional training initiatives which staff had benefitted from and achieved promotions as a result.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what we observed, the records we looked at and what staff told us.

If you want to see the evidence that supports our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

The provider had risk assessments for aspects of care that posed a risk to people who lived in the home. These assessments helped identify, address and minimise the risks to the individual.

People who use the service were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent it from happening.

There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place. Appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work.

The provider had appropriate systems in place to effectively assess and monitor the quality of care they provided to people who use the service.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. We found that the home had liaised effectively with the local authority DoLS team.

Is the service effective?

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that ensured people's safety and welfare. People's needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan.

The provider had appropriate policies and procedures in place to enable staff to ensure they obtained valid consent from people, where they were able. Where people did not have the capacity to consent, the provider acted in accordance with legal requirements.

Is the service caring?

During the inspection we observed care workers supporting people who use the service. Staff were respectful and caring. Care workers understood how people communicated and how people would express their likes and dislikes during the care planning process.

Is the service responsive?

We saw people's care records and risk assessments had been recently reviewed and updated. People who use the service, their relatives and health care professionals had been involved as appropriate. If any changes to people's needs were identified these were made.

Is the service well led?

People who use the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment. The provider had a robust quality audit system in place. We saw evidence that when issues had been identified, they were managed appropriately.

We spoke with a member of the local authority contracts and monitoring team who had visited the home within the previous two weeks. They told us that the standard of care was good and that the home was well managed. They had made a small number of minor recommendations in relation to staff appraisals and training.

We looked at a range of records, spoke with the manager, the area manager and all staff on duty, two of whom we spoke with in private. We saw the communal areas of the home, some people's bedrooms and spent time observing interactions between staff and people living in the home.