Archived: Preston Drove

Updated 26 April 2019

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 inspection was carried out by one inspector over two days, with one of the days based at the residential location and one based at the main college campus.

Service and service type:

Preston Drove 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. Preston Dove accommodates up to five young people with ranging complex needs and learning disabilities, which includes autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and needs resulting from behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). The home currently provides up to 52 weeks per year accommodation, care and support to learners who access St Johns college campus to meet their specialist educational needs.

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:

This planned comprehensive inspection took place on 27 February and 05 March 2019. Due to the nature and size of the service, the inspection was announced and the provider was given 5 days’ notice that the on-site inspection would take place.

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we had received about the service, including previous inspection reports and notifications. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us. We also considered information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we gathered information from:

• One learner using the service

• Observations of interactions between learners and supporting staff

• The registered manager and senior leadership team including the chief executive officer

• The provider’s head of care

• The maintenance, estates and ground manager

• The provider’s health and safety advisor

• The provider’s nursing team leader

• Seven members of care staff, including waking night staff

• Human resources and recruitment staff

• Records of accidents, incidents and complaints

• Audits and quality assurance reports

• Business contingency plans

• Five people’s care records

After the inspection we gathered information from:

• Three relatives

• One external social care professional

Updated 26 April 2019

About the service:

Preston Drove is residential home that provides accommodation and care for up to five people who attend St Johns College. St Johns 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, including autism and related autistic spectrum conditions (ASC). The provider refers to people using the service as learners, which they will be referred to throughout the report. At the time of inspection Preston Drove provided care and support to five learners, for up to 52 weeks per year. Preston Drove was situated within the local community and was compliant with the values underpinned in Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. The location of Preston Drove offered learners easy access to neighbouring shops, take ways and public transport facilities to the local and wider community services.

People’s experience of using this service:

• Staff told us they felt supported by management to carry out their role effectively, however records we reviewed highlighted staff had not received regular supervision in line with the providers own policy.

• The provider had comprehensive quality assurance processes in place to monitor, review and drive improvements across the service, however this did not address monitoring of staff supervision schedules.

• Learners were supported to receive their medicines safety with support from appropriately trained staff for the role.

• Risks to learners and the environment were effectively managed though robust assessments and people were appropriately protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm.

• We received positive feedback from relatives and a social care professional that learners received a good standard of care and support at Preston Drove.

• Learners were supported to receive personalised care to meet their needs and care records were person-centred to reflect people’s likes, dislikes and preferences.

• Learners’ rights and freedoms were upheld and staff treated people with dignity and respect. The provider took a proactive approach to inclusivity and staff received additional training to promote antidiscrimination.

• Where people were identified to lack capacity to make particular decisions around their care and treatment, we saw steps had been taken by the provider to record individual assessments of capacity.

• Where learners required additional support to manage anxious, distressed and heightened behaviour, we saw robust care planning and proactive support offered.

• Staff supported learners to build on their independent living skills and learners were encouraged to participate in daily living tasks with appropriate support.

• Learners were supported to maintain good diet and nutrition, and staff were flexible to accommodate people’s preferences, cultural and religious needs.

• Learners had access to a range of activities to meet their interests and were supported to access the local community and facilities throughout their college and home routines.

• The service met the characteristics of Good across all areas. More information can be found to evidence this in the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

This service was previously rated as Outstanding overall at the last comprehensive inspection. This report was published on 20 September 2016.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous inspection rating.

Follow Up:

There is no required follow up to this inspection. However, we will continue to monitor the service and will inspect the service again based on the information we receive.

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