Archived: Framfield House

Updated 8 February 2020

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

This comprehensive inspection was carried out over two days by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Framfield House 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means 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:

This inspection was announced. 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 inspection:

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 to three people and spent time observing the interactions between people and staff in public areas of the home, in order to help us understand their experiences. We requested feedback from three relatives and spoke to ten members of staff, including the registered manager, head of learner services, team leader, senior support workers and support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff training. 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 8 February 2020

About the service:

Framfield House is a residential unit providing accommodation and care to young adults who attend St John's School and College. St. John's is a special educational needs (SEN) school and specialist college that

provides education, care and medical therapy to young people aged 7 to 25, Who have a wide range of complex learning disabilities. Such as autism and related autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) and those who have special needs resulting from behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). Framfield House is based in Seaford, approximately 13 miles from the college campus and is a 38 weeks a year service, meaning that people can live at the service only during term time. The service is registered for a maximum of nine people. At the time of our inspection, there were nine young adults living at the service.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to nine people. Nine people were using the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting 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.

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. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People’s experience of using this service:

Information regarding people’s DoLS, MCA and Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPoA) was not always clear in their care documentation to ensure staff were aware of specifics, including who was legally entitled to make decisions on a person’s behalf. Information did not include who had been involved in conversations when decisions had been made. However, the impact for people was low as staff knew people well. 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.

The registered manager had created an open and positive culture. Staff felt well supported and the home had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. People were fully involved in the service and had opportunities to give feedback. Staff were well motivated, proud to work at the service, and morale was very high. Systems were in place to monitor the service and drive improvement. One relative told us, “I wish [person] could live here permanently. Its calm, welcoming, homely, clean and spacious. Framfield is well-led and a home from home.”

Systems supported people to stay safe and reduce the risks to them, ensuring they were cared for in a person-centred way. People and relatives told us they felt the home was a safe place to be and felt comfortable to raise concerns with staff. Staff knew how to recognise the potential signs of abuse and knew what action to take to keep people safe.

Staff were trained in administering medicines. People were protected by the prevention and control of infection and we observed staff wearing gloves and aprons when supporting people. There was enough staff to support people safely and the registered manager had safe recruitment procedures and processes in place.

Staff knew people extremely well and tailored their support accordingly. Staff had a good understanding of the care and support needs of people and had developed positive relationships with them. People were supported to live as independently as possible and told us that their needs were met. Activities took place on a daily basis and people were encouraged to participate if they wanted to.

People and relatives told us that staff treated them with kindness and we observed friendly interactions throughout the day. People were supported to ensure their health needs were responded to and health needs were reviewed on a regular basis. People had their privacy and dignity protected.

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

Rating at last inspection: Outstanding (report published on 24 July 2017).

Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection that was scheduled to take place in line with Care Quality Commission (CQC) scheduling guidelines for adult social care.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this service and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good.