We carried out this inspection on 22 January 2016. We told the provider we were coming 48 hours before the visit so they could arrange for staff and people to be available to talk with us. Aviary House is a care service which provides personal care to people in ‘supported living’ accommodation within purpose built flats. At the time of our visit 19 people were being supported with personal care. This was with daily care calls to assist people to live independent lives, ranging from five hours to 37 hours each week. Aviary House support people with severe and enduring mental health conditions.
This was a newly registered service and was their first comprehensive inspection since opening in May 2015.
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. A registered manager was in post however was on maternity leave at the time of our inspection. An acting manager was covering for them. We spoke with both the acting manager and the registered manager as part of our inspection, as the registered manager came to the service on the day of our visit.
People told us they felt safe using the service and the provider had systems in place to keep people safe. Care workers had a good understanding of what constituted abuse and actions to take if they had any concerns.
People received their medicines when required from staff trained to administer them. The management team checked that staff remained competent to do this and any medicine concerns were used as an opportunity for learning.
Checks were carried out prior to care workers starting work to ensure their suitability to work with people who used the service. Care workers received an induction to the organisation and a programme of training to support them in meeting people’s needs effectively.
Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), and gained people’s consent before they assisted them with care. Staff were aware of when they should seek further support to enable people to make important decisions.
People who required support had enough to eat and drink during the day and were supported to manage their health needs.
People had care workers they were familiar with, who arrived at the expected time and supported them to complete the required tasks. There were enough staff to care for the people they supported.
People and relatives told us care workers were kind and caring and had the right skills and experience to provide the care required. People were supported with dignity and respect. Staff ensured people were given privacy.
Staff knew people well and were passionate about providing good care which was ‘person centred’ and supported people in the ways they preferred. Staff were creative and open to new ideas to benefit the people they supported.
Care plans contained relevant information for care workers to help them provide personalised care including processes to minimise risks to people’s safety. The management team had identified that care records needed to be updated further and plans were in place to do this.
People knew how to complain and could share their views and opinions about the service they received. Care workers were confident they could raise any concerns or issues with the management team and they would be listened to and acted on.
There were processes to monitor the quality of the service provided and understand the experiences of people who used the service. This was through regular communication with people and staff. Other checks and audits ensured care workers worked in line with the provider’s policies and procedures.