Archived: Mayfair Avenue

The home had 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.

Two people told us they liked living at Mayfair Avenue and said staff were kind and caring towards them. There was a relaxed and friendly atmosphere when we visited.

There were clear procedures in place to recognise and respond to abuse and staff had been trained in how to follow these. Staffing numbers were sufficient to help make sure people were kept safe.

People received care and support from a long standing group of staff who knew them very well and understood their needs and preferences. Each person had individualised support plans to make sure they received the support they required.

People were supported to have their health needs met. We saw that people’s prescribed medicines were being stored securely and managed safely.

The registered manager supported staff to deliver appropriate care and support. Staff attended regular training which gave them the knowledge and skills to support people effectively. Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

The systems in place to monitor the quality of the service could be improved. There was no evidence of regular visits or audits by the provider organisation to ensure proper oversight of the service and drive improvement where required.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what we observed, the records we looked at and what people using the service and staff told us.

Is the service safe?

We found that staff had access to safeguarding training and individual records were kept to ensure that this important mandatory training was kept up to date. Individual staff members understood the action to take if they suspected abuse was taking place.

We saw the home environment was safe, clean and well maintained. Regular health and safety checks were being carried out to reduce any risks to people.

Is the service effective?

Care and support plans were found to be detailed and up to date reflecting the person, their needs and preferences. We saw people's changing care needs were being identified and discussed by care staff through their key worker responsibilities, care plan reviews, handovers and team meetings.

We saw each person had an up to date 'patient passport' detailing important information about them and how they liked to be supported. The document enabled this information to be shared with other services such as a hospital to help ensure the person's needs continued to be met.

People's assessed needs were being met by staff with the necessary skills and knowledge. We saw that staff had access to the training and supervision that helped them do their jobs well.

An easy read version of the complaints procedure could be developed for Mayfair Avenue.

Is the service caring?

Two people using the service told us that staff treated them well and they were happy living at the home. There was a friendly atmosphere at the service with people appearing relaxed and comfortable.

We saw that the support provided was individualised and centred on each person. The staff working at Mayfair Avenue clearly knew people well and understood their likes and dislikes.

Is the service responsive?

The home enabled each person to take part in activities within the service or in the community. We saw people had scheduled weekly activities which they regularly attended including music therapy, trampolining, going out for walks and shopping trips.

People using the service were able to give their views at monthly meetings and these were acted upon. We saw discussion had taken place around areas such as summer holidays, activities and household responsibilities.

Is the service well-led?

The service had a registered manager in post. They also had responsibility for another care home run by the organisation so were based at Mayfair Avenue for one day a week.

Quality assurance processes were in place however these could be developed to ensure oversight of the service by senior organisational managers.

The person spoken to confirmed that they were well treated by staff and enjoyed living at the home. Staff spoken to clearly had a good knowledge of each individual and were able to tell us about the things people liked to do each day. We saw individuals were given choice about what they wanted to eat and being supported to attend activities they enjoyed.

Staff told us that they were well supported by the manager and received the training they needed to do their job.

One person told us about the trips for waterskiing and showed us the pictures and another person told us about a recent ten pin bowling trip they went on.

A relative said they felt 'the staff were without exception, excellent' and that the individuals in the home were 'loved by staff'.

We observed the staff were supportive and treated the people using the service with dignity.