26 Seabrook Road

Updated 10 November 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 6 and 10 October 2017 and was announced. We gave the provider short notice of the inspection so they could prepare people for our visit. There was one inspector on the first day of the inspection and one inspection manager on the second day. The inspection team was small so that we did not disrupt people’s routines too much. This was the first inspection of this newly registered service.

After resolving a technical issue the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at notifications received by the Care Quality Commission. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to tell us about by law, like a death or a serious injury.

We spoke and spent time with three people, staff and the registered manager and with a relative. We contacted 13 other people including care managers, consultants and health and social care professionals for feedback about the service. We received feedback from five professionals including a consultant. Everyone who gave feedback spoke very highly of the service. We sampled records and observed staff supporting people; we spoke individually to one person and went through some of their records with them.

This was the first inspection of this service as it was newly registered.

Updated 10 November 2017

The inspection took place on 6 and 10 October 2017 and was announced. We gave the provider short notice of the inspection so they could prepare people for our visit. This was the first inspection of this newly registered service.

The service provides complex specialist support to up to five people who have a learning disability and/ or a mental health condition. There were three people living at the service when we inspected.

There was a registered manager who was supported by a manager and deputy manager. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The registered manager was experienced in managing services and working with people living with mental health conditions and learning disabilities. The registered manager spoke passionately about wanting to provide good support to people and to enhance people’s quality of life. They worked closely with professionals and organisations to give people the best possible support based on current best practice. The values of the provider organisation were to provide a ‘safe and homely environment that promotes empowerment, independence and choice.’ All the feedback we received from people, relatives, staff and visiting professionals about the service was positive.

People told us that they were happy living at the service, that they felt safe and had the support they needed. People looked relaxed and at ease with each other and staff. Staff knew people well, staff understood and empathised with people’s needs and celebrated people’s achievements. Staff knew about abuse and what to do if they suspected abuse. There was a feeling of equality and mutual respect with everyone involved in running the service from cooking meals to choosing staff. People proudly told us about the new skills they were learning and had learned since living at Seabrook road. Some people had previously been quite restricted but were now leading more fulfilled lives due to having the right support.

People were supported to remain healthy and to take part in planning their meals and cooking. Medicines were managed safely. People’s needs were assessed before they came to live at the service to make sure the staff could meet the person’s needs. If needed, the registered manager arranged specific training for staff before a person moved in and each move was planned around the person’s wishes and at a pace that suited them. People had a say about their support and had even trained staff about how to support them in the best way.

Each person had a support plan that was individual to them with photographs and pictures. Personal goals and aspirations were recorded and supported. Any risks to people had been assessed with an emphasis on enabling and independence rather than restrictions. People had individual activity plans which included sports activities, jobs and work experience. Staffing was flexible and arranged around people’s activities and appointments. Staff were recruited safely and people had a say about who might support them.

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. Some people were subject to constant supervision and may not have the capacity to consent to this. The registered manager had taken advice and applied for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard authorisations when required.

People told us the staff were kind and understanding. People were treated with dignity and respect. Staff were trained and were experienced in supporting people with learning disabilities and complex needs. Staff were supervised and supported by line managers and people were asked for their feedback about staff. Feedback was welcomed by the registered manager and acted on. The registered manager agreed to seek the views of a wider range of people in future. There was a complaints procedure and there had been no complaints. Managers carried out checks and audits to help ensure the service was safe and that people were getting the support they needed.