Carlton Autistic Care Centre

Updated 1 June 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to COVID-19, we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 11 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 1 June 2022

This inspection took place on 13 and 19 September 2018.

Carlton Autistic Care Centre is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Carlton Autistic Care Centre provides care and support for up to 18 people with autism and learning disabilities in four separate houses. Each house has their own communal facilities. There were 16 people living at the home at the time of our inspection. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support 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 rating remained good and the service met all relevant fundamental standards.

Staff understood how to keep people safe and were aware of the process to follow if they had any concerns. Risks had been assessed and recorded to ensure people were protected from harm without overly restricting people’s freedom. Detailed positive risk assessments were in place to enable people to gain new skills in a safe and measured way.

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.

Staff received ongoing support from the management team through a programme of regular supervisions and appraisals and they had been trained to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to care for people. The management team and training department kept abreast of new and innovative practices to support people with autism and ensured they sourced training to develop staff.

Positive relationships between staff and people living at the home were evident. People were happy and those that could verbalise their views confirmed this. People's independence was promoted well by staff who understood how to maximise their independence. The registered provider actively supported people to move to more independent environments once they had achieved their desired goals and were prepared for the move.

There was clear evidence of person-centred care. People were involved in activities based upon their established routines and preferences. Care records contained information on how to support people and were very detailed. Reviews of people’s care needs took place at a regular interval or when their needs changed.

The registered manager was visible in the service and staff told us the management team regularly attended the service seeking their feedback and looking for ways to make the service better. Communication was open, honest and transparent and staff did not hide from sharing their views with us, giving us an honest appraisal of the service.

Systems and processes for ensuring the quality of the service were securely and effectively in place. New systems ensured the service continued to improve against nationally recognised evidence-based standards of care for people living with autism/learning disability.

Further information is in the detailed findings below