Archived: Cornerways

Cornerways is a residential home providing accommodation and care to eight young adults who attend St John's School and College. Cornerways is based in Hove and is a short distance from the college campus. There were eight young men living at the home at the time of the inspection. The young men living at the home are referred to as learners by the provider and within this report. Learners can live at the home for their three years at the college, 38 weeks a year, during term time.

The outcomes for learners living at the home reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways; promotion of choice and control, independence and inclusion. Learner's support focussed on having as many opportunities as possible to gain new skills and become more independent.

People’s experience of using this service:

Learners were safe from the risk of abuse. One learner told us, “The staff are kind and I know they are always there, that makes me safe.” Staff had a flexible approach to risk management which ensured learners could have new experiences and maintain their independence. There were enough staff to meet learner's needs.

Learners were supported to have maximum choice and control over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the home supported this practice. Staff had the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and support. Learners were supported to maintain a balanced diet and had access healthcare services as and when needed. One learner told us, “I like living here and I like the food.”

Learners were treated with kindness and respect. They were supported to be involved in decisions about their care and given support to express their views. Learner's independence was promoted, and their differences respected. They were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them. Relatives told us their sons received support from staff who cared about them.

Care was personalised to meet learner’s care, social and wellbeing needs. They had access to a range of activities that met their interests and were connected to the local community through voluntary work, leisure activities and charitable events. Staff knew them well and delivered their support in the way they preferred.

Learners and staff were complementary of the management of the home and staff felt well supported. The culture of the home was positive. Systems and process were in place to monitor the quality of the service being delivered. One staff member told us, “Staff morale is really good, we have a great team, settled and supportive. We know each other, and we work with every learner to support their needs.”

Rating at last inspection: Good (The previous inspection report was published on 25 July 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this home and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good.

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

Cornerways is a residential unit providing accommodation and care to young adults who attend St John’s School and College. St. John’s 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, such as autism and related autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) and young people who have special needs resulting from behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). Cornerways is based in Hove and is a short distance from the college campus. Cornerways is a 38 weeks a year service, meaning that people can live at the service only during term time. At the time of our inspection, there were eight people living at the service all of whom were male. Six learners live within the main house, with another two living in self-contained bedsits within the property. The provider has five separate residential locations in the Brighton and Hove area. This report relates to Cornerways. The provider refers to people using the service as learners, which they will be referred to in this report.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

Learners living at Cornerways were supported with exceptional care, dedication and understanding. Transitions for learners to and from their care setting at college was bespoke and planned thoroughly. For learners with very complex physical or emotional needs a great deal of planning and preparation was involved. By liaising and co-ordinating with relatives, other professionals and authorities, staff and the environment were prepared to reflect each individual learner’s preferences and routines. When changes were needed these were done as quickly as possible, such as recognising that one learner had anxiety around small spaces, so was therefore given a larger room. Staff worked closely and co-operatively through partnership working to make sure learners had access to ongoing support, to remain at college if they wished and to make sure when they moved on the appropriate arrangements had been made for them.

Learner’s experience of their care and support was overwhelmingly positive. They were involved in the planning and reviewing of their care records and were able to direct their care, and were assisted innovatively to learn how to manage their anxieties and emotions. They discussed and shaped the activities they wished to take part in and were listened to. They took part in socially inclusive activities in their local communities and well as at the college. Learners had work experience and work placement opportunities as well as working in college departments. Learners benefitted from new and creative methods of communication and staff worked proactively to help learners to make choices and decisions about their care and lifestyle. Learners were supported to be as independent as possible, taking responsibility for their medicines, and learning new skills.

Outstanding training resources equipped staff with the skills, knowledge and understanding to meet the challenges of supporting learners with diverse and complex needs. They said the learners were “at the centre” of everything they did. Staff were supported to develop individually, to voice concerns which they were confident would be listened to. Bespoke training had been developed to ensure that learners remained safe and had their health and wellbeing protected at all times. Staff were passionate, committed and motivated to make sure the learners journey through college was a positive experience.

Learners were happy and relaxed with staff. They said they felt safe and there were sufficient staff to support them. A relative told us, “Yes, [my relative] is perfectly safe”. When staff were recruited, their employment history was checked and references obtained. Checks were also undertaken to ensure new staff were safe to work within the care sector. Staff were knowledgeable and trained in safeguarding adults and what action they should take if they suspected abuse was taking place.

Medicines were managed safely and in accordance with current regulations and guidance. There were systems in place to ensure that medicines had been stored, administered, audited and reviewed appropriately.

Learners were being supported to make decisions in their best interests. The registered manager and staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Accidents and incidents were recorded appropriately and steps taken to minimise the risk of similar events happening in the future. Risks associated with the environment and equipment had been identified and managed. Emergency procedures were in place in the event of fire and staff knew what to do.

Learners were encouraged and supported to eat and drink well. There was a varied daily choice of meals and learners were able to give feedback and have choice in what they ate and drank. One learner told us, “We get nice food. There’s fajitas today”. Special dietary requirements were met, and weight was monitored, with permission. Health care was accessible for learners and appointments were made for regular check-ups as needed.

Learners were encouraged to express their views and had completed surveys. Feedback received showed they were satisfied overall, and felt staff were friendly and helpful. Learners and their relatives also said they felt listened to and any concerns or issues they raised were addressed.

Staff were asked for their opinions on the service and whether they were happy in their work. They felt supported within their roles, describing an ‘open door’ management approach, where managers were always available to discuss suggestions and address problems or concerns. One member of staff told us, “St John’s is incredibly supportive and understanding around staff”. The provider undertook quality assurance reviews to measure and monitor the standard of the service and drive improvement.

We saw that people experienced safe and effective care based on detailed care plans and risk assessments that met individual needs.

People using the service were protected from abuse as they were supported by a staff team who had appropriate knowledge and training on safeguarding adults.

Staff received ongoing training and supervision which provided them with skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the people they were supporting.

The provider had effective systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service.