Archived: Larch Avenue

Updated 17 November 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 2 October 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Prior to the inspection visit we gathered information from a number of sources. We also looked at the information received about the service from notifications sent to the Care Quality Commission by the registered manager. We also looked at the 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 also spoke with other professionals supporting people at the service, to gain further information about the service.

We met all five people who used the service. We also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We spoke with staff including care workers, the registered manager, and the deputy manager. We looked at documentation relating to people who used the service, staff and the management of the service. We looked at three people’s care and support records, including the plans of their care. We saw the systems used to manage people’s medication, including the storage and records kept. We also looked at the quality assurance systems to check if they were robust and identified areas for improvement.

We spoke with five members of staff, including a senior support worker, support workers and the registered manager.

After the visit we spoke with two people's relatives by telephone, to gain their views about the service.

Updated 17 November 2018

The inspection took place on 2 October 2018 and was unannounced. The last comprehensive inspection took place in April 2016 when the registered provider was rated good. You can read the report from our last inspections, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Larch Avenue’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk. At this inspection we found the service had remained good.

Larch Avenue is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes 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.

Larch Avenue is a care home situated in Auckley, Doncaster. It provides care for to up to 6 people living with a learning disability. The accommodation and housing support is provided by South Yorkshire Housing Association and the care staff are employed by Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust.

At the time of our inspection the service had a registered 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 provider was working within the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. Risks associated with people’s care had been identified and were managed appropriately. People were supported by sufficient staff to keep them safe. The service managed people’s medicine in a safe way. The service had a safe recruitment procedure.

People had their assessed needs and choices met by staff with the right skills, knowledge and experience. Processes were in place to ensure there were no discrimination, including the protected characteristics under the Equality Act. People were supported to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. People had access to healthcare professionals. Consent to care was sought in line with legislation. 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.

We observed staff interacting with people and found they were kind, caring and compassionate. We saw staff respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People received personalised care which met their needs and took into consideration their preferences. People accessed the community and took part in activities of their choosing. Complaints were listened to and used to improve the quality of care.

There were systems in place to monitor the service. People had a voice and had opportunities to contribute to the service. Staff found the management team approachable. Lessons were learned and improvements made when things went wrong.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.