Fiveways

Updated 8 October 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and one 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

This service provides care and support to people living in two ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received 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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We spoke with four people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, a senior care worker, and care workers. We observed people interacting with the staff at both sites during the inspection.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 8 October 2021

About the service

Fiveways is a supported living service providing personal care and support for people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. At the time of the inspection the service was provided to seven people across two sites at Fiveways in Peacehaven and Glebe Close in Lewes.

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

People were supported in a personalised way and had full and busy lives. People told us they felt safe and were happy. One person said, “I do feel safe living here. It’s a nice atmosphere and environment.”

Risks to people were assessed and managed effectively. Systems to safeguard people from abuse and avoidable harm were effective and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of their responsibilities. There were enough staff to care for people safely and staff had received the training and support they needed to care for people’s diverse needs.

Staff were proactive in supporting people’s health and well-being and were responsive to changes in people’s needs. There were effective management systems in place and staff worked in partnership with other agencies and health care professionals.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support:

• Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and independence

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and supported them to be as independent as possible. People were supported to access the local community and to maintain relationships that were important to them.

Right care:

• Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human Rights

People and their relatives spoke highly of the staff and of how care was provided in a person -centred way. One relative said of the staff, “They listen, and they uphold his rights.”

Right culture:

• Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives

The staff described a positive, open culture where they were able to contribute ideas and deliver effective care in a supportive environment. People appeared comfortable with staff and had developed trusting relationships.

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, their relatives and staff spoke positively of the service, how well it was led and the good outcomes that people achieved. One relative told us, “It is a nice little natural home – not institutionalised, thumbs up to Fiveways.”

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

Why we inspected

This service was registered with us on 25 November 2019 and this is the first inspection

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.