We carried out a review of the data available to us about SENSE - 32a Broadgate Lane on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about SENSE - 32a Broadgate Lane, you can give feedback on this service.
SENSE – 32a Broadgate Lane is a home registered to provide accommodation and personal care for six adults who have a learning disability and/or a sensory disability. At the time of our inspection visit there were six people living in the service. Most of the people did not have sight and/or hearing. In addition, all of them had special communication needs and used personal forms of sign assisted language.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values underpinning Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives which include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support which is appropriate and inclusive for them.
The service is a six bedded bungalow. The building design fits into the residential area and has a garden on two sides overlooking open fields. There were no identifying signs outside to indicate it was a care home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by staff who were passionate about giving people the right support. The staff team were exceptionally sensitive to the needs of people with sensory loss.
Staff understood which things were important to everyone; skilled support from staff enabled people to experience the world around them, and to feel connected to friends, family and the local community.
People were supported by a small team of staff that knew them well. Staff knew what to do if they were concerned about the safety of the person. Staff were trained, supervised and supported in their roles.
People's needs were assessed, and a comprehensive care plan was in place to help them. This was done working closely with commissioners and health and social care professionals. Feedback was very positive from relatives and professionals about the care and support that was in place for people.
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.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent. Relatives told us their supported person “was now doing things we never thought they would be able to, including holding and drinking from a cup, eating with a knife fork and spoon and walking with support from their home to a car”
The registered manager was keen to continually improve and develop the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
The last rating for this service was Good (published 19 September 2017)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
We carried out this announced inspection on 8 August 2017. We gave the service a short period of notice. This was because the people who lived there had complex needs for care and benefited from knowing in advance that we would be calling.
SENSE – 32a Broadgate Lane is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for six people who have a learning disability and/or a sensory disability. At the time of our inspection visit there were six people living in the service. Most of the people did not have sight and/or hearing. In addition, all of them had special communication needs and used personal forms of sign assisted language.
The service was run by a charitable body that was the registered provider. 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 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run. In this report when we speak about both the charitable body who ran the service and the registered manager we refer to them as being, ‘the registered persons’.
At the last inspection on 20 July 2015 the service was rated Good.
At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
Care staff knew how to keep people safe from the risk of abuse including financial mistreatment. People had been supported to take reasonable risks while also being helped to avoid preventable accidents. Medicines were safely managed. There were enough care staff on duty and background checks had been completed before new care staff had been appointed.
Care staff had received training and guidance and they knew how to care for people in the right way. This included using a number of innovative techniques to communicate with people. People enjoyed their meals and were supported to eat and drink enough. In addition, they had been helped to obtain all of the healthcare assistance they needed.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were treated with compassion and respect. Care staff recognised people’s right to privacy and promoted their dignity. People had been supported to access independent lay advocates when necessary and confidential information was kept private.
Care staff had involved people and their relatives in making decisions about the care that was provided. People had been had been supported to be as independent as possible and they had been helped to pursue their hobbies and interests. There were arrangements for quickly and fairly resolving complaints.
People had been consulted about the development of their home and quality checks had been completed. There was an established staff team and good team work was promoted. Care staff were supported to speak out if they had any concerns and people had benefited from care staff acting upon good practice guidance.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
This was an announced inspection carried out on 20 July 2015.
There was a manager who had been in post since May 2015. They had applied to be registered. 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.
SENSE 32a Broadgate Lane can provide accommodation for up to six people who have a learning disability and who live with reduced hearing and vision.
There were six people living in the service at the time of our inspection.
The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor how registered persons apply the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and to report on what we find. The safeguards are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to deprive them of their liberty. This is usually to protect themselves. At the time of our inspection the manager and registered person had consulted with the relevant local authorities who were deciding if five of the people were being deprived of their liberty and so needed to have their rights protected. The necessary permission had been given in relation to a sixth person who was being deprived of their liberty.
Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns so that people were kept safe from harm. People were helped to avoid having accidents and their medicines were safely managed. There were enough staff on duty and background checks had been completed before new staff were appointed.
Staff had received the training and guidance they needed to assist people in the right way. This included helping them to be as independent as possible and to eat and drink enough. People had received all of the healthcare assistance they needed including dental care. Staff had correctly used the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice to ensure that whenever possible people were supported to make decisions for themselves. In addition, staff had used the safeguards in the law to protect people’s rights when decisions needed to be made on their behalf.
People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff recognised people’s right to privacy, respected confidential information and promoted people’s dignity.
People had received all of the care they needed including people who had special communication needs or who were at risk of becoming distressed. People had been consulted about the care they wanted to receive and they were supported to express their individuality. Staff had assisted people to pursue a range of interests and hobbies. There was a system for resolving complaints.
People had been consulted about the development of the service and regular quality checks had been completed. The service was run in an open and inclusive way and people had benefited from staff receiving good practice guidance.
We toured the building and reviewed two people's care files. We spoke to relatives of two people who lived there. One relative told us they had been working with care staff to arrange for their relative to visit them for a break. They said they participated in meetings twice a year to discuss their relatives care. They said their relative had become more independent since moving to the home and they were continuing to develop. They told us they were very happy with the service.
Another relative told us they had spent time looking for a service suitable for their relative before deciding on this one. They said "The service had lived up to their hopes and expectations.'
We found that staff were aware of their responsibility for protecting people from the risk of abuse.
We toured the building and looked at the facilities provided for people. We found the premises were suitable for people using the service.
A quality audit for the service was undertaken in July 2013 by the provider's quality team which showed the aspects of care reviewed were good or excellent. Other audits had also been undertaken which were concerned with the safety of the service and improving support to individuals.
Staff told us they looked for verbal and non-verbal methods of consent when giving care to people. Where people lacked capacity to make decisions about their care, the manager, family and other professionals were involved in making decisions in their best interest.
We could see people were happy and relaxed in the home. There were good relationships between people and the care workers.
We saw the home was clean and tidy. Staff were able to describe how they worked to reduce the risk of infection.
We saw there were systems in place which ensured medication was available for people when needed.
Records showed staff were supported to access training. Staff told us and records showed received regular supervisions and annual appraisals.
We spoke with two staff during our visit. Staff were very positive about working in the
home and praised the teamwork and supportive atmosphere.