Freeman College

Updated 14 September 2022

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.

As part of this inspection, we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors, a specialist advisor and an Expert by Experiences. The specialist advisor was a nurse. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. We carried out the inspection between 13 July 2022 and 21 July 2022.

Service and service type

Freeman is a specialist residential college. People receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service also provides a shared lives scheme. They recruit, train and support self-employed shared lives carers (SLC) who offer accommodation and support arrangements for vulnerable adults within their own family homes in the community.

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of the inspection the registered manager had left the service. A new manager had been appointed who was in the process of registering with CQC.

Notice of inspection

We gave the provider 48 hours' notice of the inspection visit. This was because we needed to make sure staff would be at the office to answer our questions and provide the information, we required to carry out our inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 21 members of staff including the nominated individual, the principal, and the manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records. We looked at three 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.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 14 September 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Freeman College is a specialist residential further education college for young people with a learning disability or mental health needs and autistic people. People receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service also provides a shared lives scheme. They recruit, train, and support self-employed shared lives carers (SLC) who offer accommodation and support arrangements for vulnerable adults within their own family homes in the community. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service can support up to 20 people and 18 people were receiving a service at the time of the inspection.

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

The provider was able to demonstrate how they would meet the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture:

Right support:

The model of care and setting maximises people's choice, control and independence. Risks associated with people's care had been identified and assessments were in place to minimise risks occurring. The provider adopted the least restrictive practices underpinned by a positive behaviour approach.

The provider had a process in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding and knew how to act on concerns. The provider had a recruitment system in place to ensure appropriate staff were employed. Environmental risk assessments were individualised and incorporated into people's care plans.

Right care:

Care is person-centred and promotes people's dignity, privacy and human rights. People received thorough and detailed assessments. Plans and interventions were individualised to their needs and risks. People were treated with kindness, compassion, and respect by the staff. Staff knew people well and responded to them appropriately and sensitively.

People told us they took part in a wide range of activities which were tailored to their interests and gave them the chance to try new things. Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.

Right culture:

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of managers and staff ensured people accessing the service led confident, inclusive and empowered lives. The leadership of the service worked hard to develop a learning culture. Staff told us they felt valued and empowered to suggest changes and confident enough to question poor practice. There is an open and honest culture between people, those important to them, staff and managers. People, relatives and staff told us, they felt confident in raising concerns and complaints.

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. Staff supported people to explore and embrace their identity and provided care that was sensitive to equality and diversity.

Rating

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 14 June 2019.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections, even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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.