Blythson Limited - 5 Ashley Avenue

Updated 25 April 2020

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Blythson Limited - 5 Ashley Avenue is a ‘care home’ is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager who was registered with CQC. This means they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The registered manager was on leave at the time of the inspection. The inspection was supported by the deputy manager and the service provider’s deputy director.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was announced. This is because Blythson Limited - 5 Ashley Avenue is a small busy service and we wanted to make sure people and staff would be there.

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. 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 two people about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff. This included the deputy director, the deputy manager and care staff. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

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

Updated 25 April 2020

About the service

Blythson Limited - 5 Ashley Avenue is a residential care home registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to three people. There were three people living at the service at the time of this inspection. People had a range of learning disabilities and they all required support with their personal care.

The service is in a quiet road, close to local shops and the sea. The service comprised of large living and dining areas, a kitchen, three bedrooms, several bathrooms and accommodation for sleep night staff.

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 that 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. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The building design fitted into the residential area. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

People felt safe and at the service. People were treated with dignity and respect and their lifestyle and equality needs and choices were understood and respected. The deputy manager told us, “We know each person very well and are clear about the support they want”. People told us they were happy with the support they received. People had privacy when they wanted it.

People were protected from the risks of harm and abuse and any concerns they or staff had, were listened to and acted on. Risks had been assessed with people and family members acting on their behalf. People were supported to remain independent and as safe as possible in ways that had been agreed.

Staff supported people to remain healthy. People enjoyed a balanced diet which met their needs and were supported to lead active lives. People’s medicines were managed safely. People were protected from the risk of infection.

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.

People had planned their care with staff and were supported to maintain their routines. They were supported to take part in a range of activities they enjoyed. People had been offered the opportunity to share their end of life preferences and these had been documented.

The provider and registered manager had oversight of the service. They completed regular checks on the quality of care people received. People, staff and relatives were asked for their views about the service. These were listened to and acted on to improve the service.

The registered manager understood their legal responsibilities and had shared information with us and others when they needed to.

There were enough staff to support people when needed. Staff had the skills required to care for the people and were supported by the management team. Staff were recruited safely.

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 that 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. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 31 January 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 re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.