Archived: United Response - 15a Vale Road

United Response is a residential care home for people with learning disabilities. The home can accommodate up to five people in one adapted house. At the time of the inspection there were five people living at the home. People at the home had a range of physical and learning disabilities.

The service had been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that 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 that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

People received kind care from staff they knew and who knew them in return. People’s needs were consistently met and assessed to enable improvements and progress in their lives. Risks to people were assessed and managed to balance people’s safety and right to lead a non-restricted life. There were enough well-trained staff to ensure people were supported safely at all times.

People were supported to communicate with their relatives and the managers when they were not happy or wanted to change their support. Staff cared about the people they supported and enjoyed working at the home.

People, relatives and staff were engaged by the service via meetings so that everyone could contribute to the development of the service. There was a credible strategy in place with plans for staffing improvements at the service. This was being implemented by the registered manager who was pro-active in considering how the service could be improved.

People were engaged throughout the day by staff who made them smile or express their happiness.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection

Good (August 2016)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to five adults who have needs arising from learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of inspection, there were five people living at the home.

The service was previously inspected in April 2013 when the service was found compliant with all the regulations inspected.

Care was provided in a purpose-built single storey home set in grounds on the outskirts of Aldershot. The property was owned and maintained by a landlord who leased the home to United Response.

There was a registered manager running the service. 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 home had a happy, friendly feel with staff and people interacting with humour. There were enough staff to support people safely. People were supported by staff who knew them well. Staff showed kindness and care to people. Staff received training to ensure they had the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out their role. Staff were also supervised and appraised to support them in their role on a regular basis.

The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in terms of safeguarding vulnerable adults from abuse. They also understood their role in ensuring they worked within the framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Care plans described people’s care and support needs. They were reviewed on a regular basis and also when changes to a person were identified. Health and social care professionals were involved to support people’s care and health needs. These included people’s GP, dentist, as well as specialist services such as incontinence advisors. People were supported to have a healthy diet and stay hydrated. Staff prepared meals which people enjoyed and which met their dietary needs, including food intolerances.

Staff administered, recorded and stored people’s medicines safely. Individual risks had been assessed and people were supported to be as independent as possible taking these into account.

The home was well run by the registered manager and her deputy who knew people and staff well. Audits and checks were carried out to ensure the quality of the service provided. Senior managers visited the home regularly to undertake checks on the environment and people’s care. Where issues were identified, actions were taken to address these. This included working with the landlord on issues relating to the home.

Following the visit we spoke with two people's relatives. They told us their relatives were looked after well. One relative said "It is a great place for my relative. He is well looked after" Another relative said "I visit the home regularly, the staff are lovely and very caring. My relative is treated with dignity and respect and he often goes out and about with staff". Local authority professionals told us the staff were proactive regarding identifying people's changing care needs and involved them as required. One care manager told us "I have no worries about the care provided at the home" Another care manager told us "We don't have a lot of communication with the home, but if necessary they will contact us".

People were treated respectfully and their views were taken in to account by staff. Staff understood the signs of abuse and were confident about raising their concerns with the appropriate people.

Staff recruitment practices and procedures were robust and ensured that people were cared for by staff that were fit to do their jobs. Records about, care treatment and support were clear factual and accurate and maintained the dignity and confidentiality of the people who used the service.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service. We also observed the care being given and the interactions between the people who use the service and the staff. We saw people responded positively to staff.

In addition we reviewed the records, and in particular those where individuals had recorded their wishes and opinions of the service.

Following the visit we spoke with three people's representatives. They told us their relatives were looked after well. One representative said "staff are brilliant; they have worked at the home a long time". Another representative said " Ash Vale is a very happy situation for my relative"