Aldam House and Cottage

Updated 29 December 2023

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Aldam House and Cottage provides care and support to people living within a supported living setting. The service had 8 en-suite bedrooms with shared communal living space and adjacent to this were the cottages which had 2 bedrooms with a shared bathroom and communal living space, this supported people to live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post, however they were no longer working at the service. A new manager was in post who will be completing their forms in the new year to register, the previous registered manager will also de-register from the service.

Notice of inspection

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.

Inspection activity started on 5 December 2023 and ended on 8 December 2023. We visited the location’s service on 6 December 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people who use the service and 1 relative about their experiences of the care provided. We spoke with 4 staff including the area service manager, the manager, the deputy manager and 1 support staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 care records and 2 medication records. We looked at other records relating to the management of the service including recruitment, supervision, and systems for monitoring quality.

Updated 29 December 2023

About the service

Aldam House and Cottage is a supported living service and is close to local shops and amenities. The service is registered to provide support to adults who may be living with a learning disability or autism spectrum disorder, mental health or physical disabilities. It also provides support to younger adults and people who misuse drugs and alcohol. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care to 3 people. The service can support up to 10 people.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

Right Support:

Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence over their own lives. People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms. Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests. People were supported to access specialist health and social care support in the community. Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence and achieved the best possible health outcome. 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.

Right Care:

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to people’s individual needs. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Staff had received training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs. People’s care, treatment and support plans reflected their range of needs, and this promoted their well-being and enjoyment of life. Where appropriate staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks.

Right Culture:

People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. Staff turnover was low, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well. People were involved in planning their own care.

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 11 October 2017)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and due to the length of time since the service was last inspected.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Aldam House and Cottage on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.