Our current view of the service
Updated
16 January 2024
An assessment has been undertaken of a specialist service that is used by autistic people or people with a learning disability. We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. 'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
SeeAbility - Applewood Residential Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 5 people. The service supports people with learning disabilities and autism. At the time of our assessment there were 4 people using the service. We carried out this assessment between 14 February 2024 and 11 March 2024. We looked at how the service assessed and planned for people's care needs, and how they trained and supervised staff to support people according to their needs and preferences. We spoke with 1 person, 1 relative and 6 staff. We observed care and support in communal areas and reviewed 2 people’s care plans, 3 staff recruitment records as well as general records for the service. These included staff training records, meeting records, policies and procedures and audits. We assessed the following quality statements: safeguarding, involving people to manage risk, safe and effective staffing, medicines optimisation, assessing needs, monitoring and improving outcomes, consent to care and treatment, independence, choice and control, equity in experience and outcomes and governance, management and sustainability.
People's experience of the service
Updated
16 January 2024
Right Support:
The service had systems and processes in place to safely administer and record medicines use. There was a robust auditing process in place that helped to identify areas for improvement and minimise impact on people’s care and safety.
Right Care:
People were protected from poor care and abuse. The provider had policies in place and staff had been trained. Safeguarding concerns were reported to the appropriate authorities and the manager worked with the local safeguarding teams to ensure any issues were fully investigated.
Risk assessments gave staff enough information to provide safe care, some required updating as they were 2 years old. Care plans were detailed and people's preferences and choices were documented. There were enough staff deployed to provide support for people. Staff knew people well and understood how to provide safe care.
Right Culture:
A new manager had started working at the service who was supported by senior management. The manager worked with the wider management team to embed the quality monitoring and audit processes. The management team had a good oversight of the care and support provided, the manager was in the process of reviewing and updating risk assessments to reflect changes. The quality monitoring processes were embedded and were continuously reviewed to ensure they gave a good oversight of the service.
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.
People's feedback about the service they received was consistently positive. They were satisfied their care workers had the skills and knowledge to support them, and that the support they received met their needs. A person said, “I feel safe.” A relative told us their loved one was safe and well looked after. They were kept informed about changes in health or incidents and accidents.