Anna House Post 18

Updated 23 May 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. The registered manager was also the provider. Another manager was employed, and the provider told us the intention was that in time this manager would apply to become registered with the Care Quality Commission and the provider would cancel their registration as the registered manager.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 1 person who used the service and one relative by telephone. We observed how staff interacted with people. We spoke with 5 staff: the registered manager, the manager and three support workers. We reviewed the care records of two people and multiple medicines records. We looked at the staff records of 4 staff. We reviewed a number of records relating to the management of the service, including a sample of policies and procedures.

Updated 23 May 2023

About the service

Anna House Post 18 is a supported living service providing the regulated activity of personal care. The service is a supported living service and provides support to younger adults with learning disabilities and autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 4 people using the service. The service is based in one premises, which is an ordinary home in a residential area.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support:

People were able to choose where they lived. The home was an ordinary house close to other residential and commercial properties, at the heart of the local community. The service was able to assess people's needs before they began living at the service, so they knew whether they could meet their needs. Staff were supported through training and supervision to gain knowledge and skills to help them in their role. People were supported to eat a balanced diet and were able to choose what they ate. People had access to health care professionals. Care plans were in place for people which set out how to meet their needs in a person-centred way. Information was provided to people in a way that was accessible to them. Systems were in place for dealing with complaints. People were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends, and to engage in meaningful activities.

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.

Right Care:

People were protected from the risk of abuse. Risk assessments had been carried out to identify the risks people faced. These included information about how to mitigate those risks. There were enough staff working at the service to meet people's needs and the provider had robust staff recruitment practices in place. Medicines were managed in a safe way. Infection control and prevention systems were in place. Accidents and incidents were reviewed to see if any lessons could be learnt from them. Relatives told us staff were caring and that they treated people with respect. Staff understood how to support people in a way that promoted their privacy, independence and dignity. The service sought to meet people's needs in relation to equality and diversity.

Right Culture:

People were at the heart of what the service did, and care was person-centred. Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place to help drive improvements at the service. Relatives and staff told us there was an open and positive culture at the service. People were supported to express their views. The provider was aware of their legal obligations and worked with other agencies to develop best practice and share knowledge.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 22 February 2022 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This service had not been previously inspected and we needed to check if people received good quality and safe care.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have made 2 good practice recommendations, in relation to medicines audits and Health Action Plans.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.