About the service7-9 Downing Close is a residential care home providing personal care and accommodation for people with learning disabilities.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
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 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.
The service consisted of three separate domestic style bungalows registered to support up to 10 people. Ten people were using the service during our inspection visit. There were no identifying signs to indicate this was a care home. The bungalows were clean and tidy during our visit and the environment continued to meet people's needs.
People continued to feel safe and they were protected from harm. Risks associated with people's care and support had been assessed and were managed well. Staff were recruited safely and were trained and competent to carry out their roles effectively.
The management of people’s medicines was safe, and people had access to health professionals when required. People's nutrition and hydration needs were met, and the staff team worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to ensure people received effective care.
Staff were caring, and people were treated well. People's right to privacy was respected, their dignity was maintained, and people were encouraged to be independent. People and relatives were treated as active partners in their care.
Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in place supported this practice.
Staff knew people well and provided responsive care in line with their wishes. People's needs had been assessed before they moved into the home to ensure these could be met. People's care records contained the detailed information staff needed to provide personalised care.
People maintained links with people that mattered to them and with their local community. Staff had a good understanding of the way people preferred to communicate and understood what people were communicating through their gestures and behaviours.
People and relatives spoke positively about the leadership of the service. Effective systems monitored and continually improved the quality and safety of the service provided. People and relatives knew how to complain, and lessons were learnt when things had gone wrong.
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 22 July 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 reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.