Autumnville

Updated 14 October 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

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

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Autumnville is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. 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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who used the service. We are improving how we hear people’s experience and views on services, when they have limited verbal communication. We have trained some CQC team members to use a symbol-based communication tool. We checked that this was a suitable communication method and that people were happy to use it with us. We did this by reading their care and communication plans and speaking to staff or relatives and the person themselves. In this report, we tried using this communication tool with one person to tell us their experience.

We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, head of care, senior care worker, care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two healthcare professionals and a relative who regularly visits the service.

Updated 14 October 2021

About the service

Autumnville is a residential care home providing personal care to one person at the time of our inspection. Autumnville supports people with autism and learning disabilities in one purposely adapted building. The service can support one person only.

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

We observed people to be happy, and relaxed smiling and enjoying staff company. People had been supported to increase their independence and learn new skills for example dressing themselves. People were supported to make decisions about their care, this included daily activities and how they spent their time.

People received person centred care. People had been supported to reduce anxieties and achieve things which were previously deemed not within reach. One person was able to go on holiday, and their communication had increased with the support of staff. People were supported by staff to communicate with a range of tools including picture cards, so they were able to express themselves.

Relatives told us that their loved one was safe living at Autumnville. People were supported by sufficient numbers of suitably trained staff. Staff understood how to support people from the risk of abuse.

People’s medicines were managed safely. People had been supported to reduce the amount of medicines they had been taking. A relative told us the service was clean and people were always well dressed.

Risks to people had been assessed and mitigated. A healthcare professional told us people who could show behaviour of distress had been supported successfully to reduce these instances with the support of staff. When incidents occurred they were used as opportunities for learning, and improvements put in place.

When the person moved to the service, comprehensive assessments had been completed. Healthcare professionals told us they were impressed with the support people received from the assessment stage and during the transition and how settled people appeared at Autumnville. There were multiple healthcare professionals involved in people’s care and providing joined up care. People were supported to live healthy lives and eat and drink sufficient amounts.

Healthcare professionals and relatives told us they were impressed with the leadership within the service. Staff and the registered manager were committed to providing good outcomes for people. There was a positive culture shared by staff and linked to the values of the provider.

There were systems in place to improve the quality of the service. Audits and checks were completed by staff and managers and learning shared across the staff team. Staff used feedback from people and their relatives on how to improve the service. There was a complaints policy in place which the registered manager used to make improvements within the service.

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.

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.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support:

• Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and independence. For example, people had been supported to gain skills to dress themselves and be more involved in their personal care.

Right care:

• Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. For example, people had been supported to reduce restrictions previously placed on them.

Right culture:

• Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Staff and the registered manager demonstrated a culture in line with their values, promoting good outcomes for people, which was supported by healthcare professionals.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 12 June 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

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.

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.