EnhanceAble Space

Updated 7 July 2022

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

One Inspector carried out the inspection

Service and service type

EnhanceAble Space is a respite care service registered with CQC as a “care home”. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. EnhanceAble Space is a care home without nursing care. 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 the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before 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 (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke/communicated with three people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. People who were unable to talk with us used different ways of communicating including pictures, photos, symbols, objects and their body language. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, senior support worker and two support workers. We spent time observing the support and communication between people and staff in shared areas of the house.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and two medication 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.

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with four professionals who regularly have contact with the service.

Updated 7 July 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

EnhanceAble Space is a respite care service that offers support and activities during the day and accommodation overnight. It provides accommodation, personal care and support services for up to four people a day with learning disabilities and autistic people. There were four people receiving day-care services and of those people, three were receiving overnight accommodation at the home on the day we visited.

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

Right Support

Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence, be independent and they had control over their own lives. Relatives were consistently positive about staff focus on initial assessments to gain an understanding of their loved ones needs and how the persons transition into using the respite service was individually tailored. We were told of a number of examples of positive impact for people following the innovative assessment and transition process completed by the service. A social care professional told us, “Staff knew service users well, this was supported by transition planning in advance of the service formally commencing.” Another health professional said, “They treat the individual as an adult and they really get to know the person and not only their needs but what is important to them.” For example, a person who experienced episodes of distress had received support to engage with EnhanceAble Space and activities, this resulted in them further developing their confidence to try new things. A social care professional said, “This young person was able to realise meaningful, robust and consistent support for the first time in a considerable time”. People were supported by staff to pursue their interests. Observations during the inspection confirmed staff respected and acknowledged people’s choice of activity and a variety of activities were observed during the day. A health professional told us on their last visit, “Staff were engaging well with the young people they were supporting, there was active engagement with service user’s participation encouraged. The feel of the house was relaxed, service users looked relaxed in the space.” The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment. This met their sensory and physical needs, while making it feel homely.

Right Care

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs with genuine regard for the person. Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. Staff took the time to understand people’s individual communication styles and ensured people had access to tools they needed to be involved in decision making. Observations confirmed people were supported by a range of communication tools dependent on their individual needs. Staff understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. One person and relatives told us they felt safe. Relatives spoke of their confidence in the service keeping loved ones safe, one said, “It's a vital service, I'm so grateful to EnhanceAble Space our young people's welfare is important to them”.

Right culture

Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. The registered manager and staff recognised the importance of understanding people’s specific needs. This was supported by an open learning culture which ensured people received individualised respite support which focussed on positive outcomes and people’s strengths. People and those important to them, were involved in planning their care. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. We saw staff fully involving people with activities and tasks of their choosing. People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity. People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff. Relatives and professionals provided consistently positive feedback about the registered manager and staff skills and valued the services open communication. Staff evaluated the quality of support provided to people, involving the person, their families and other professionals as appropriate. One social care professional told us, “I find the communication from managers and staff to be excellent. They are very consistent in communication, being very accurate, clear and concise. I work with many support providers and would say the communication and liaison is one of the best I encounter.”

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

This service was registered with us 18 April 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support, right care, right culture. This was a planned first inspection following registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

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.