Flexible Support Options Limited (Thorntree Way)

Updated 9 April 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 19 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 9 April 2022

About the service

Flexible Support Options Limited (Thorntree Way) consists of two purpose built bungalows situated in a residential area of Blyth, Northumberland. It is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to ten people with autism and/or a learning disability, some of whom may also have physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection, there were five people living in each self-contained bungalow.

The service has 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 living in the home receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

People and staff said they enjoyed living and working in the home. People spoke highly of the care, support and attention they received. This was reflected in the positive attitude and approach of staff and the management team. The management and staff team took considerable time to understand people’s needs and were exceptionally skilled at responding to their needs and preferences. This included a thorough understanding of people’s communication needs, to enable people to express their wishes and views in a meaningful way. By working in imaginative and person-centred ways, the staff worked to develop people’s lives for the better. There were numerous examples of how people had been supported to build their confidence and self-esteem in a supportive and open atmosphere.

People told us they felt safe and staff were kind and caring. Our observations during inspection, were of positive and warm interactions between staff and people. Staff were motivated and demonstrated a clear commitment to providing dignified and compassionate support. Staff understood how to protect people from harm or discrimination and had access to safeguarding adults’ procedures. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. The provider operated an effective recruitment procedure to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Risk assessments were created to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection. People received their medicines safely.

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 providing opportunities to gain new skills and become more independent. 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. Staff received training relevant to their role and new staff completed an induction training programme. Staff felt well supported by the management team. People were involved in the development and review of their support plan documentation and had regular meetings with their keyworker. People had access to a broad range of meaningful activities which improved their quality of life and feelings of well-being.

The service was well-led by a committed management team. Together with the staff team they provided high-quality, person-centred care. The registered manager provided clear leadership and took into account the views of people, their relatives, staff and visiting professional staff about the quality of care provided. The registered manager and staff used the feedback to continuously improve people's experience of care.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 25/05/2017).

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.