Autism Together - 86 Allport Road

Updated 26 January 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 checked 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.

The inspection took place on 19 December 2017 and was announced. It was carried out by an Adult Social Care Inspection manager. The registered manager of the home was given 24 hours’ notice because the location is a small care home for adults who may be out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

Before the inspection we contacted Wirral Council. They told us that they had no concerns about the service. We looked at all of the information that CQC had received about and from, the service since the last inspection. This included notifications about issues that had happened in the service.

During the inspection we looked at all parts of the premises. We spoke with the registered manager, and two other members of staff. We met with two of the people who lived at the home, and following the inspection we contacted two relatives by telephone. We observed staff interacting with people in the home. We looked at medication records. We looked at staff rotas and training records. We looked at maintenance records. We looked at care records for two of the three people who lived at the home.

Updated 26 January 2018

86 Allport Road is part of the Autism Together organisation and is registered to provide accommodation for three people who require support and care in their daily lives. 86 Allport Road 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 home is a detached house in the area of Bromborough on the Wirral. At the time of our inspection there were three people living there. The two-storey domestic type property is close to shops, public transport and other local amenities.

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

We spoke with two of the people who lived in the home and two relatives who all gave positive feedback about the home and the staff who worked in it. We saw that people were living busy, independent lives, supported by a willing staff team who were encouraging and supportive.

Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed training had been provided to enable them to support the people with their specific needs. We found staff were knowledgeable about the support needs of people in their care. We observed staff providing support to people throughout our inspection visit. We saw they had positive relationships with the people in their care and they were guests in the people’s home, respecting people’s space and choices.

The registered manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions. We saw during the inspection that people were supported to make their own decisions and their choices were respected. Assistive technology was in place to maximise people’s independence.

Care plans were person centred and driven by the people who lived in the home. They detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for. They were regularly reviewed and updated as required.

We found medication procedures at the home were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medication administration was countersigned by two staff members to ensure safe administration.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits of the service and staff meetings to seek the views of staff about the service. The staff team were consistent and long standing. They demonstrated that they were committed to providing the best care possible for the people living in the home.