St Andrews Drive

Updated 11 September 2019

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

St Andrew’s Drive is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave 24 hours’ notice of the inspection as it is a small service and we wanted to ensure people would be in.

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

Not all people communicated with us verbally about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three people about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager and two support workers.

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 five people’s care records and two medicines records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection –

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 11 September 2019

About the service

St. Andrew’s Drive is a residential care home providing personal care and support to six younger adults, some of who may be living with learning disabilities and autism. There were six people using the service at the time of the inspection.

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.

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

The service was provided from one house and was registered to support six people. It therefore conformed with current best practice guidance.

The principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance ensure people with a learning disability and or autism who use a service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best outcomes that include control, choice and independence. At this inspection the provider had ensured they were applied.

The vision of the service reflected these principles ensuring people with learning disabilities have opportunities and choice and are supported to achieve their aspirations. Staff adopted the ethos to provide person-centred care that enabled individuals to develop skills and behaviours to live independent lives, whatever the level of need.

Some of the people who used the service had complex needs and they did not express their views verbally about the service. During the time we spent with people we saw they appeared comfortable with staff.

The service was very well-led. Staff went the 'extra mile' to ensure people received individual care that helped them develop. Staff supported people to become more independent in all aspects of daily living and they were involved in all aspects of decision making. People said they were listened to by staff.

Staff knew the people they were supporting extremely well. Detailed care plans were in place that documented how people wished to be supported. Staff had developed very good relationships with people, were very caring in their approach and treated people with full respect.

Strong, committed leadership put people at the centre of service provision. People and staff were positive about the management of the service and felt valued and respected.

Information was accessible to involve people in decision making about their lives. 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.

Staff received training and support to help them carry out their role. Arrangements for managing people's medicines were safe. People enjoyed their meals and their dietary needs had been catered for.

The building was bright and well-maintained with a good standard of hygiene.

There were opportunities for people to follow their interests and hobbies. They were supported to be part of the local community and to go on holiday.

The registered manager monitored the quality of the service through audits and feedback received from people, their relatives, staff and external agencies.

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 17 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.