Living Ambitions Limited - 63a Victoria Avenue

Updated 12 July 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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

This inspection was carried by one inspector and one Expert by experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Living Ambitions Limited - 63a Victoria Avenue is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Living Ambitions Limited -63a Victoria Avenue is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We interacted with 3 people who could not use verbal communication and gathered the views of 2 relatives. We spoke with 2 staff and the deputy manager. We reviewed 4 people’s care records and risk assessments and 4 staff files. We undertook checks of the environment and people’s medicines, and we reviewed the provider’s infection control and quality monitoring processes.

Updated 12 July 2023

About the service

Living Ambitions Limited - 63a Victoria Avenue provides personal care for up to 7 adults with a learning disability. There were 7 people living in the service at the time of our inspection. The service is provided in one adapted, 2 storey residential building which is wheelchair accessible throughout.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

Right Support

People received planned and personalised care and support. People, their relatives and healthcare professionals participated in people’s needs assessments and reviews. People received their medicines safely from staff trained to administer them. The environment of the service was clean, and staff undertook a range of health, hygiene, and fire safety checks.

Right Care

Staff were kind and caring to people. People and staff knew each other well and over many years. Staff understood people’s individual ways of communicating. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. People’s risks were assessed and reduced.

Right Culture

There was an open culture at the service. The registered manager checked the quality of care people received, and developed action plans to ensure continuous improvements. 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

The last rating for this service was good (published 05 March 2018).

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Living Ambitions Limited - 63a Victoria Avenue on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.