Archived: Athelstan Place

Athelstan Place is a care home providing personal care to up to six young people with mental health needs, learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. The home supports young people to transition from other settings, such as mental health hospitals, into long term living arrangements in the community. At the time of the inspection there were three people living full time in the home, one person was in hospital with their placement being held open for them. One person was being supported to transition into the home and was there part time.

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. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

Athelstan Place is an adapted building situated in a residential area of Southampton, close to local amenities and public transport links. Accommodation is arranged over two floors with bedrooms grouped into “pods” of two rooms and a shared living space. There is also a shared living room, kitchen area and sensory room.

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

People received personalised, safe care and support which met their needs and promoted positive outcomes. There were robust arrangements in place to assess and manage risks which were appropriate for the high level of needs of people living at the service.

There were suitable numbers of adequately trained and experienced staff to meet people’s needs. The service sought and followed professional guidance to ensure people’s needs were understood and support plans were based on best practice and national guidance.

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.

Staff were caring and compassionate. They treated people respectfully and with empathy, supporting their emotional needs and empowering them to lead in the development of their support plans.

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’s communication needs were met, and staff supported people to understand their options and make choices.

People had access to activities and hobbies which reflected their interests and background. Staff supported them to keep in touch with those important to them and to develop new relationships in a safe way as possible.

The service had been through a period of change in leadership. The manager in post at the time of the inspection was overseeing the service in the interim, however they were experienced, knowledgeable and knew the service well. Staff were positive about the support they received and there was a clear management structure with delegated responsibilities which staff took seriously. There was clear governance and oversight of the service and a continuous improvement plan which was being prioritised and progressed by the manager and senior team.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 11 August 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.

The inspection took place on 27 June 2017 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the service.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The provider had policies and procedures in place designed to protect people from abuse and staff had completed training in safeguarding people. The registered manager knew how and when to use safeguarding procedures appropriately. Risk assessments identified when people were at risk and plans were in place to minimise those risks and to deliver care and support which met people’s needs. People’s needs were met by suitable numbers of staff. Appropriate recruitment procedures were in place. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People’s needs were met by staff who were trained to do so as the provider had an ongoing training programme in place. The management and staff were clear about people’s right to consent to their care and support. People were generally independent with eating and drinking or needed little prompting and support. People were supported to access healthcare services, such as registering with a GP.

We observed a caring and positive attitude to people using the service, as well as people who had stopped using the service before our inspection. The staff team appeared to be a committed and confident staff group who believed that what they were doing was making a positive difference to young people's lives. People were at the centre of how the service was run. Staff said they would not discuss people or their needs with others living at the service. When we arrived at the service in the morning, staff were sensitive to which people were in the building and where they were. Staff took care not to infringe on their privacy whilst showing us around.

The service was responsive to people’s needs. People moved to the service either as a ‘step down’ (from hospital) because they needed less support than what was provided in a hospital setting, or a ‘step up’ because they needed more support than was provided in their previous accommodation. Care plans were detailed and specific to the individual’s assessed needs. People were involved in the creation of their care plans which were detailed around every aspect of their lives. People undertook a range of activities which were their choice, including socialising in the local community. The provider had a complaints procedure in place and signs were displayed around the service. People were also advised of the complaints procedure in the ‘welcome book’ they were given when they moved to the service and one person told us they would feel able to complain.

There was a clear management structure in place. The registered manager completed audits and provided information to the board of directors on a regular basis. Improvements to the service were made based on feedback from people using the service.