Archived: Asquith House

Updated 7 September 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on the 12 July 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager and people using the service are often out doing activities. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

The inspection was completed by one adult social care Inspector.

Prior to the inspection we used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require registered providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We reviewed notifications that had been submitted to us by the registered provider and also spoke to the local authority who did not raise any concerns.

During the inspection we looked at the care records for three people who used the service. We spoke with six people using the service and four members of staff, including the registered manager. We also looked at records pertaining to the day-to-day management of the service such as maintenance records, staff recruitment files and audits.

Following the inspection we spoke with one external health professional and a social care professional. We also tried to contact education professionals for people who were at school, however were unsuccessful because of the summer term holidays.

Updated 7 September 2018

The inspection was announced and took place on the 12 July 2018.

At the last inspection the service was rated as ‘good’.

Asquith House is registered to provide accommodation and support for up to six people. At the time of the inspection the service was full.

This 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.

There was a registered manager in post within the service. 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.’

We identified that an exceptional level of support was provided when enabling people to access health services, and with identifying and working towards achieving positive outcomes for people.

In one example a person had been supported in a highly person-centred manner to access life-saving treatment when they had become unwell. We spoke to one health professional who was very complimentary about staff and the support they had provided to this person during this period. The registered manager had also praised the work undertaken by staff, telling us they had gone over and above their hours to ensure this person’s wellbeing.

There was a positive culture within the service which promoted people’s wellbeing. In one example this had enabled a person to feel safe and protected which had allowed them to take a significant step towards improving their own wellbeing with the support of staff and the registered manager.

During the inspection we found that one person had been supported by staff to get a job working for the registered provider. Care had been taken to support this person in such a manner that they did not become overwhelmed and could work at their own pace. This was part of the person’s goal to achieve greater levels of independence.

We spoke with staff who told us the registered manager was very supportive of them. Morale amongst the staff team was good and staff told us they enjoyed coming to work. This was reflected in the positive, friendly atmosphere that was apparent throughout the service.

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

Staff had undertaken training in safeguarding vulnerable people and had a good understanding of safeguarding processes. They were able to describe the different types of abuse that could occur and what action they would take in situations where they identified that abuse was taking place.

Risk assessments had been completed to support people maintain their safety. These clearly outlined what actions staff should take to ensure people’s wellbeing was maintained.

The safety of the environment was being maintained through regular checks and servicing. For example water temperatures were being monitored to ensure they stayed within safe levels and remained free from harmful bacteria. Protocols were in place to ensure staff knew how to respond in emergencies and equipment that was used for responding to emergencies, such as fire extinguishers were being maintained.

Staff had received training in areas relevant for their role which helped ensure that they could provide people with the support they required.

Care records were in place which clearly outlined people’s needs. These were reviewed on a routine basis and provided staff with the information they needed on how to support people.

There were quality monitoring systems in place to monitor the service and make improvements where required. This helped ensure that standards within the service were maintained.