Archived: Grace Eyre Choices Sussex

The Grace Eyre Foundation provides support to people who have a learning disability and/or a mental health need, through shared lives services, day care, housing, and domiciliary support where people were supported in their own homes and in supported living.

Grace Eyre Choices Sussex provides personal care and support for adults with a learning disability, autism or mental health need in the community, living in their own home and in supported living accommodation in the Brighton and Hove and West Sussex areas. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. At the time of our inspection around 200 people were receiving a service, of which 64 received the regulated activity of personal care. The staff team also help people to develop their skills for greater independence. They can help with people learning to cook, budgeting, managing medication, accessing the community and aim to promote healthy lifestyles, through a varied range of enjoyable leisure activities.

On the day of our inspection, there was a registered manager in post. 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 registered manager was supported by two general managers, nine service managers and nine team leaders with dedicated administrative support.

Since the new registration there had been several changes. Staff spoke of a move to new offices and the provider taking over the care and support provided in a number of new supported living sites. The service had grown quite quickly due to this. There had also been changes in the structure of the management team to support the larger service, which had not yet been fully embedded. A new computer system had been introduced and information was being transferred over with the view of being a paperless service. Although senior staff were auditing the care and support provided, some of the quality assurance for example, spot checks could not be fully evidenced as had not always been recorded. Information on the new system was not always complete and was still being updated, for example, staff supervision records. Feedback from staff was not always consistent as to the process to be followed or the forms to be completed. Recording, to give senior managers a clear oversight of the quality assurance which had been completed had not been fully maintained and there was a lack of oversight of the quality assurance process.

The organisation was outstandingly caring as they strove to ensure the service was ‘service user led.’ There were a range of work opportunities, forums and accessible information to support and enable people to give their views on the care and support provided, and to be actively part of the development and running of the service. People were enthusiastic and committed to the roles they had taken on. They spoke of being valued and enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to the running of the service.

Care and support provided was personalised and based on the identified needs of each individual. People were supported where possible to develop their life skills and achieve greater independence. People had care plans which had been reviewed. A member of staff told us, “In the community we try to match people with support workers and we have loads of success with that. Service users really value the consistency of staff.”

People told us they felt safe in the service. People were supported by care staff who were trained in safeguarding adults at risk procedures and knew how to recognise signs of abuse. Medicines were managed safely and people received the support they required. Accidents and incidents had been recorded and appropriate action had been taken and recorded by the registered manager.

People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People were supported to eat a healthy and nutritious diet. People had access to health care professionals and had been supported to have an annual healthcare check.

There was a robust recruitment process in place. People were supported by kind caring staff. Care staff were supported to develop their skills and knowledge by receiving training which helped them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. Care staff told us they were up-to-date with their training.

There was a detailed complaints procedure. People knew who to talk to if they had any concerns. The registered manager told us that they operated an 'open door policy' so people, their representatives or shared lives staff could discuss any concerns.

Care staff told us that communication throughout the service was good. They told us they felt well supported by management and were positive and enthusiastic about their roles. A member of staff told us, “They are really good employers and good service providers.” Another told us, “I love working for Grace Eyre. (Registered manager's name) is really supportive. The ethos is empowering and welcoming. Everyone is very supportive. (Registered manager’s name) values her role and the need to run a quality service. She is passionate about that.”