Background to this inspection
Updated
23 March 2022
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.
As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.
This inspection took place on 22 February 2022 and was unannounced.
Updated
23 March 2022
This inspection was carried out on 26 October 2017. The inspection was announced.
The Kent Autistic Trust - 52A River Drive is a care home for people needing residential care. The home is run by The Kent Autistic Trust, and can provide care and support for up to four people with autism. Bedrooms are on one floor of the building and there is a communal lounge and dining room. All of the bedrooms have en suite wash facilities. Since the last inspection the building had been altered and converted into a smaller residential home with a separate flat above it. At the time of our inspection there were three people living at the service.
People living in the home had varying levels of communication. People had complex needs. They required high levels of support to enable them to be safe, engage with others and live as independently as possible. One person was able to verbally communicate whilst two people did not. Staff used different methods to communicate with each person which was individual to each of their needs.
At the last inspection on 28 September 2015, the service was rated Good.
At this inspection, we found the service had remained Good.
The management of the service was overseen by a board of trustees for The Kent Autistic Trust. Trustees and the chief executive officer for the trust visited the service regularly.
The service had a registered manager. 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. The registered manager was also registered manager for one of the provider’s other local services. They split their time equally between the two services. The registered manager was supported by the area operational manager and the head of care for the organisation.
Staff and people received additional support and guidance from the provider’s positive behaviour support team as well as the provider’s speech and language therapist and occupational therapist. Strategies were in place to manage any incidents of heightened anxiety and behaviours that others may find challenging.
People and their relatives had opportunities to give feedback about the service in a variety of ways. Relatives and professionals were positive about the service received.
The service provided excellent care and support to people enabling them to live as fulfilled and meaningful lives as possible.
The provider had sustained good practice, development and improvement at the service. The provider had achieved accreditation and continued to work in partnership with organisations to develop best practice within the service. Staff were highly motivated and were actively involved in and contributed to continuous development and improvement.
The provider had a strong set of values that were embedded into each staff member’s practice and the way the service was managed. Staff were committed and proud of the service. The provider and registered manager used effective systems to continually monitor and improve the quality of the service.
Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of abuse or harm. Staff followed appropriate guidance to minimise identified risks to people's health, safety and welfare.
The feedback we received from relatives and health and social care professionals was excellent. They spoke very highly of the registered manager and the staff team. Everyone within the organisation was highly motivated and committed to ensuring people that used the service had good quality care.
The provider operated safe and robust recruitment and selection procedures to make sure staff were suitable and safe to work with people. There were suitable numbers of staff to safely meet people’s needs. Staff received regular training and supervision to help them to meet people's needs effectively.
People received their medicines when they should and medicines were handled safely.
The registered manager understood their responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). 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 support this practice.
People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their needs. People received the support they needed to stay healthy and to access healthcare services.
Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. Interactions between staff and people were caring and kind. Staff were patient, compassionate and they demonstrated affection and warmth in their discussions with people.
Care plans detailed people’s preferred routines, their wishes and preferences. They detailed what people were able to do for themselves and what support was required from staff to aid their independence wherever possible. People were involved in review meetings about their support and aspirations.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.