Background to this inspection
Updated
4 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 the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had 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 31 January 2022 and we gave the provider 1 days' notice.
Updated
4 March 2022
Autism Wessex - Higher Ground provides accommodation with personal care for four people. The home specialises in providing a service to adults who have a learning disability, autism, sensory impairment or physical disability.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were not able to tell us about their experiences of life at the home, so we therefore used our observations of care and our discussions with staff and relatives to help form our judgements.
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 were safe. The provider had policies and procedures in place designed to protect people from the risk of suffering harm and abuse. Risk assessments were in place which identified possible risks to people and how to reduce them. Risk management was central to the day to day care people received.
People's needs had been assessed before they moved into the home, to ensure their needs could be met. People’s changing needs were met.
People were supported by staff who were trained to meet their individual needs. There was a very close relationship with people's families and other professionals to ensure people received the care and support they needed.
Staff asked people for their consent before supporting them. People were supported by a staff team who respected their choices and decisions. Staff promoted people’s privacy, dignity and independence.
People, and those close to them, were involved in planning and reviewing their care. People's communication methods were identified within their care plans and understood by staff. Peoples relative’s views were central to how care was provided and reviewed and how the service was run.
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.
People were part of their community. They chose a range of activities, trips and social events.
The service was well managed with the provider’s support. The management team were open and honest. There were effective systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service. There was a commitment to improving the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection (and update)
The last rating for this service was Good (published June 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.