- Care home
Wellhead Lane
Report from 7 December 2023 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Wellhead Lane is a small care home for people with learning disabilities and / or Autism. There was a registered manager in post. We carried out a site visit at the service on the 13 and 19 December 2023. We found staff had been trained in safeguarding and understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe. There was a clear safeguarding and whistleblowing policy available at the service with details of which agencies to contact in the event of any concern. One person had a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) in place which had no conditions attached. People had personalised risk management plans in place where risk had been identified. These were kept under review and updated if needed. If people experienced distress, there were personalised behaviour support plans in place which gave staff guidance on what support to provide and when. The service did not use any restraint. Staff had been recruited safely and we found there were sufficient numbers of staff available to support people's needs in a timely way. New staff had an induction when they started work which included training, supervision and shadowing more experienced staff. Additional training was provided when needed and staff told us they had been given enough training for their role. People were supported to have choice and control of their care. People were involved in their care plans and had opportunities to share their views and thoughts. People had access to healthcare and could also seek support from social care professionals. If any delays to treatment were experienced the provider supported people to make complaints. Staff also provided support for people to attend healthcare appointments if needed to make sure there was clear communication about any treatment plans. People could have visitors without restrictions. People were supported to maintain their independence and encouraged to access their local community and services.
People's experience of this service
People told us they felt safe at the service and they were very happy living there. Comments from people included, "I feel safe, 100% if not more" and "I feel safe living here." People felt there were enough staff available and they were supported to do activities they enjoyed. We observed during our site visits people were going out swimming, for walks and helping with food preparation. One person said, "I go to the pub, play darts and pool and go walking in the local area." People told us they were involved in their care plans, reviewing them regularly and making changes when their preferences or needs changed. One person told us, "I am involved in my care plan, I like to be aware of actions or plans that involve me. Gives me a broader sense of what is going on." There were monthly meetings for people living at the service. Records were kept on what was discussed. Prior to our site visit, people had been involved in planning Christmas activity and parties. People felt able to raise concerns if needed. All the people we spoke with knew who the registered manager was and felt able to approach her at any time. One person told us they would go to the registered manager or staff with any issue. They said, "I feel confident they would sort it out."