The Old Manse

Updated 27 October 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in two ‘supported living’ settings, 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, and support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 27 October 2021

About the service

The Old Manse is a supported living service and provides personal care and support for adults with

learning disabilities and autism at two different sites in the Hindhead area. One site was a shared

house and the other site contained purpose-built flats. At the time of our inspection there were 15 people living there.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

People felt safe using the service because they were supported by staff who knew their needs well and knew how to manage risks associated with their care. Staff understood their responsibilities in terms of keeping people safe from abuse and avoidable harm. Action had been taken to reduce the risk of the spread of infection and the provider had ensured practices were updated according to national guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

People's needs and choices were assessed and planned for, and their preferences had been considered. Staff were safely recruited and inducted. They had access to training and supervision to ensure they had the skills to support people effectively.

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.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people's independence by supporting them to learn new skills and encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

The service was flexible in order to meet people's needs and any concerns or complaints were responded to promptly. People were supported to take part in their chosen activities. There was good information available to support staff to understand residents’ individual communication styles.

There were systems in place that worked to ensure areas in need of improvement were identified and actions were taken to make changes when needed so that people received good quality care.

The registered manager was approachable and supportive, staff enjoyed working at the service and were listened to.

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.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support:

• People we spoke to said that they received the support that they wanted and felt in control of their lives. People were supported to maintain relationships which were important to them. R

Right care:

• The care provided was person centred and promoted people’s human rights and dignity. Staff respected the way that people wanted to live their lives.

Right culture:

• There was a positive culture and good values at the service which were displayed by both the management team and the care staff. There was a clear emphasis on celebrating people’s achievements which helped to build confidence and empower people.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 22 May 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating to ensure that there had not been a reduction in the quality of care provided.

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.