We carried out a review of the data available to us about 1 Sheringham Avenue on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about 1 Sheringham Avenue, you can give feedback on this service.
1 Sheringham Avenue is a residential care home providing personal care to five people living with autism and mental health conditions at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to five people.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence.
The service was set out in a large domestic style property. The service fitted into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was tailored to supporting people living with autism.
The service sought to offer people new experiences, through a wide range of individual activities which were meaningful to them. Staff actively supported people to gain independence and learn life skills. People were encouraged to identify and follow pursuits that interested them.
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 were valued and placed at the centre of the service. People were supported to be active in the running of the home.
Staff were well trained, skilled and motivated to deliver a high-quality level of care. Staff had received training tailored to people's individual care needs.
People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare services. Staff worked with a range of health professionals to ensure they knew people's care needs. Medicines were managed safely.
Staffing levels were enough to ensure that people's needs were met. Staff were safely recruited.
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 30 June 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
At the last inspection, the service was rated as Good.
At this inspection we found the service remained as Good.
The service had a registered manager. 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 legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the associated regulations on how the service is run.
People were supported with applying for jobs and each person did voluntary work within the local community for charity and care homes. People told us they enjoyed doing this and had a positive impact in their lives.
People participated in regular personalised activities which included attending Autism Adult Social Groups and supported to travel abroad every year.
Most risks associated with people’s care had been identified and had been assessed which provided information to staff on how to mitigate risks to keep people safe. Some risks had not been assessed in full in regards to diabetes and safety of members of the public. Updated risk assessments had been sent after the inspection.
Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place to make continuous improvements. However, the audits had not identified the issues we found with risk assessments. We made a recommendation that audit process are made robust to identity issues we found with risk assessments.
Medicines were being managed safely.
Staff had the knowledge, training and skills to care for people effectively. Staff received regular supervision and support to carry out their roles.
Staff sought people's consent to the care and support they provided. People's rights were protected under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and capacity assessments were being carried out.
Weight was being monitored for people at risk of weight increase and diets were being catered for. Healthy eating was being encouraged through cooking sessions.
People were able to access healthcare services and attend routine medical appointments and health monitoring with staff support.
Staff had positive, caring relationships with the people who lived at the home.
People were treated in a respectful and dignified manner by staff who understood the need to protect people's human rights.
Care plans were personalised and person centred.
Staff felt well supported by the registered manager. People were positive about the management of the home.
We undertook this unannounced inspection on 29 & 30 May 2015. 1 Sherringham Avenue is a care home registered for a maximum of five people. People living in the home have Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism. At this inspection there were four people living in the home.
The home has a registered manager. 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 of the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Staff were welcoming and people in the home appeared settled and well cared for. People informed us that they were satisfied the care and services provided. Staff were caring and knowledgeable regarding the individual needs of people.
People’s needs were assessed. Staff prepared appropriate and detailed care plans with the involvement of people and their representatives. Their healthcare needs were closely monitored and attended to. There were suitable arrangements for the recording, storage, administration and disposal of medicines in the home.
There were enough staff to meet people's needs . Staff had been carefully recruited and provided with training to enable them to care effectively for people. Staff had the necessary support and supervision to enable them to care for people. They had received training and knew how to recognise and report any concerns or allegations of abuse.
Staff had assessed people’s preferences prior to their admission and arrangements were in place to ensure that these were responded to. People could participate in activities they liked and go on outings. There were suitable arrangements for the provision of food to ensure that people’s dietary needs were met.
The home had arrangements for quality assurance. Regular audits and checks had been carried out by the registered manager and the area manager.
We found the premises were homely, clean and tidy. The home had an Infection control policy and measures were in place for infection control. There was a record of essential inspections and maintenance carried out. Risk assessments had been carried out and these contained guidance to staff on protecting people.
At the time of this inspection there were five people living in the home. Four of them spoke with us and expressed their views about the service.
We observed the care provided and the interaction between staff and people who used the service. We spoke with three care staff and the registered manager.
Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people using the service and the staff told us, what we observed and the records we looked at.
If you want to see evidence that supports our summary please read the full report.
This is a summary of what we found:
Is the service safe?
People told us that they were well treated by staff. One person said, 'Staff are understanding. They treat me with respect and they knock on the door to ask permission before coming in.' Another person said, 'The staff talk nicely to us and show respect for us. We have meetings for residents.'
The service had a safeguarding policy and procedure. Staff had been provided with safeguarding training. They were aware of action to take in response to safeguarding incidents or allegations. The home was clean and tidy. Risk assessments of the premises had been carried out regularly to ensure that the premises were safe.
The Care Quality Commission monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which applies to care homes. The manager and staff had received training and had an understanding of the need to make an application for deprivation of people's liberty to be authorised by the local authority if this was needed for people's own safety. However, we noted that some people living in the home needed continuous supervision and control, and staff told us that due to risk to their safety people were not free to leave without staff or family members accompanying them. This may mean that deprivation of liberty authorisations were required. The manager agreed that to contact the local authority with regard to this issue.
Is the service effective?
Feedback from people who used the service indicated that the service was effective and people had benefitted from staying at the home. One person stated, 'I have made a lot of progress. I did not know how to cook. Now I can cook for myself. The staff also encourage me to keep fit.' Another person said, 'I am satisfied with the care. I have seen my care plan and signed it. I am now more capable and confident.'
People's care needs had been assessed before they arrived at the home and arrangements had been made to ensure that they were able to participate in activities they liked. The care plans were up to date and addressed various aspects of the person's care including their likes and dislikes, daily routine and care needs. Regular reviews of care had been carried out to ensure that the care provided met the needs of people.
Is the service caring?
People who used the service made positive comments about staff and indicated that they were caring and helpful. One person stated, 'The staff encouraged me. If it were not for staff I would not be able to do the things I do now. I am more healthy now.' Another person said, 'I can talk to the staff. They are understanding. We have one to one sessions.'
We observed that care staff were friendly and greeted people warmly. When a person came up to a staff member and wanted a chat before they went out, the staff member spoke with them, then gave them time to express their views in an unhurried manner. Staff said they were aware that all people should be treated with respect and dignity. Staff knew what the preferences and care needs of people were.. They had an understanding of people's cultural and religious needs and where appropriate, arrangements had been made to meet these needs. People informed us that they had been consulted regarding their individual needs and staff had spent time listening to them.
Is the service responsive?
People told us that staff responded to their suggestions and choices. One person said their bedroom was redecorated in the way they wanted. Monthly meetings had been held where people could make suggestions regarding the running of the home and activities they wanted organised for them. The meetings were chaired by people who used the service and we noted that the minutes were also taken by one of them. We were informed by the registered manager that action taken in response to suggestions made included a holiday to Malta and changing a shower room door. We noted people could engage in activities they liked and these included cooking their own food, going to car shows and to a farm.
Is the service well-led?
A staff member stated, 'We have a good team. There is supervision and appraisal. The manager is supportive. We do not wish to change this.' The manager was knowledgeable regarding her role and responsibilities. There were arrangements for monitoring the quality of care provided. A satisfaction survey had been carried out recently. The results indicated that there was a high level of satisfaction among people who used the service. We saw evidence that audits and regular checks had been carried out in areas such as infection control, medication and the health and safety of the premises. Staff meetings had been held and the minutes of these meetings indicated that staff had been updated regarding the management of the home and the care of people. Staff we spoke with informed us that they worked well together and their management was supportive.