Archived: Autism Hampshire - 1 Ford Road

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support CQC policy 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.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People were safeguarded from avoidable harm. Staff adhered to safeguarding adults procedures and reported any concerns to their manager and the local authority.

Staff assessed, managed and reduced risks to people’s safety at the service and in the community. There were sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s needs.

Safe medicines management were followed and people received their medicines as prescribed. Staff protected people from the risk of infection and followed procedures to prevent and control the spread of infections.

Staff completed regular refresher training to ensure their knowledge and skills stayed in line with best practice guidance. Staff shared knowledge with their colleagues to ensure any learning was shared throughout the team.

Staff supported people to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. Staff liaised with other health and social care professionals and ensured people received effective, coordinated care in regards to any health needs.

Staff applied the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. 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. An appropriate, well maintained environment was provided that met people’s needs.

Staff treated people with kindness, respect and compassion. They were aware of people’s communication methods and how they expressed themselves. Staff empowered people to make choices about their care. Staff respected people’s individual differences and supported them with any religious or cultural needs. Staff supported people to maintain relationships with families. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and promoted.

People received personalised care that met their needs. Assessments were undertaken to identify people’s support needs and these were regularly reviewed. Detailed care records were developed informing staff of the level of support people required and how they wanted it to be delivered. People participated in a range of activities.

A complaints process ensured any concerns raised were listened to and investigated.

The registered manager adhered to the requirements of their Care Quality Commission registration, including submitting notifications about key events that occurred. An inclusive and open culture had been established and the provider welcomed feedback from staff, relatives and health and social care professionals in order to improve service delivery. A programme of audits and checks were in place to monitor the quality of the service and improvements were made where required.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

1 Ford Road Gosport provides support and accommodation for up to five people with learning disability and/or those with an autism spectrum disorder/condition. At the time of our inspection there were five people living at the home. People were accommodated in single rooms, with a shared lounge, kitchen, dining room and an enclosed garden.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

There were appropriate processes and risk assessments in place to protect people from risks to their safety and wellbeing, including the risks of avoidable harm and abuse. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to recognise and report signs of abuse. Arrangements were in place to keep people safe and comfortable in the event of an emergency evacuation.

The manager made sure there were enough staff with the skills and knowledge to support people safely.

Staff were aware of the need to obtain people’s consent. When people lacked capacity to make decisions staff were guided by the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The service provided individualised, varied and nutritious meals which were prepared and served according to people’s individual needs. People had access to their GP and other healthcare providers when needed.

Staff and the management team had received safeguarding training and they were able to demonstrate an understanding of the provider’s safeguarding policy and explain the action they would take if they identified any concerns.

People and staff told us they felt the service was well-led and were positive about the management team. The provider was proactive in promoting good practice, through supervisions and team meetings.

People told us and our observations confirmed that they felt the home was caring. Staff were enthusiastic about working with the people who lived at the home. They were sensitive to people’s individual needs, treating them with dignity and respect, and developed caring and positive relationships with them. People were encouraged to maintain their family relationships.

People received care and treatment that met their needs and took into account their wishes and preferences. Staff delivered care and treatment in line with plans and assessments. The service had a procedure in place to manage complaints, but people had not felt the need to use it.

Staff supported people in a variety of individual activities, including trips outside the home and day care services.

People, their families and staff were all complimentary about the atmosphere and culture in the home. People expressed affection for the home and its staff. Staff expressed pride in the service provided, and described it as homely and well run.

The manager had an effective and organised management system.

There was a thorough and wide ranging system of checks and audits to monitor and assess the quality of service. Actions arising from these checks were followed up.

We spoke with three people who use the service. They told us they were happy living at Ford Road. We spoke with two members of staff, the deputy manager and the registered manager during our inspection. One staff member told us, "Ford Road is definitely service user led".

Staff were knowledgeable about people's personal, behavioural, social and health needs. Staff knew the content of people's plans of care and how to put the guidelines that these plans contained into practice demonstrating they understood the care plans.

People's needs were assessed and care was delivered in a way that met their needs. We looked at three care plans and observed care and support being delivered.

We saw that the service had taken into account the different needs of people living in the home by ensuring that information was provided in different ways. User friendly formats were used for the activities timetable and other important documentation such as the complaints procedure, what to do if the fire alarm rings and the safe fridge plan.

Care plans provided clear details about the care and support each person needed which included individual choices of each person. There were clear details about how people demonstrated their decision making. Where needed assessments were completed about peoples capability to make specified decisions.

We spoke with relatives of two people who lived at the home. They all expressed satisfaction with the care and support their family member received at 1 Ford Road. This included staff respecting the choices of people who lived at the home and staff being able to recognise when a person was not well and effectively support them to access appropriate medical care and treatment. They told us that they had confidence that any concerns or complaints would be dealt with promptly and effectively.