4 July 2019
During a routine inspection
Avenue Road is a supported living service that can accommodate up to nine people with mild to moderate learning disabilities, diagnosis of mental health, behaviours that challenge and other associated health or communication needs. At the time of our inspection eight people were using the service.
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
People spoke openly about the things they had achieved while living at the service. They spoke positively about their goals and aspirations and how staff supported them to achieve them.
Staff continued to put people at the heart of the service and were skilled in the way they provided person centred care and support. People continued to have an active and fulfilled life that was exceptional in meeting their needs and preferences. Staff actively encouraged people to try out new experiences and activities.
People told us they felt safe and would speak up if they had any problems. Staff knew what to look for to help them identify abuse; they knew how to report any concerns and felt they would be listened to by their managers. Staff understood the best ways to communicate with people and were able to support people when they became upset or worried.
People had risk assessments which helped them and staff make sure everyone was safe at the service and in the community. These helped staff to manage people’s risk while still encouraging their independence. Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicine when they needed it.
People were supported by staff who had received the appropriate training and support. There were enough staff at the service and staff numbers were flexible to suit people's needs so that people received their care and support when they needed it.
People were encouraged to make healthy choices about their food and supported to have enough to eat and drink. Risks linked to people’s diet had been identified and staff knew what to do to help people. Staff supported people to see healthcare services when they needed to and encouraged people to be involved in their healthcare needs.
The provider listened to and acted on complaints. Information was available for people and their relatives to make a complaint and relatives were confident the manager would act on any concerns they raised.
Leadership was visible across the service and the manager and staff had a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The provider had a range of audits in place to assess, monitor and drive improvement. When things had gone wrong lessons were learned and this was shared across the service.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These make sure people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
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.
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 Outstanding (published 11 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.