Archived: Bocking Alms Houses

This service provides care and support to people living in a supported living setting in the village of Bocking. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, 13 people with learning disabilities were receiving personal care at the service.

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

Feedback from people and families was positive. A relative told us, “I would definitely recommend the service we are all happy my family member is cared for well.”

The registered manager was a strong and committed leader. They were an excellent role model and promoted an open enabling culture where people were at the centre of the service.

Risk was well managed at the service. Staff supported people to make choices, ensuring they had the necessary information to manage their own risks. The service used technology positively to help people remain safe. Staff took the necessary action when they were concerned about a person’s safety. Arrangements were in place for the safe administration of medicines and staff were recruited in a safe way. There was a positive culture around learning from mistakes to improve the service.

Staff assessed people’s needs to ensure they were able to provide the necessary support. Care plans provided staff with practical guidance and information. Staff were skilled and supported well in their role. People were supported with their nutritional needs, where required. Staff promoted people’s health and wellbeing and supported them to access a range of health care professionals.

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.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice, inclusion and independence. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People had developed close, trusting relationships with a stable and committed staff team. They were encouraged to express their views and make choices about their care. Staff promoted people’s rights and treated them with dignity and respect, encouraging them to maximise their independence.

Support was flexible, person-centred and adjusted to people’s changing needs. People had varied lives and received support to develop their interests. Staff used different communication methods with people to ensure they received information in a manner they would understand. People and their representatives knew how to raise any concerns and were confident they would be dealt with effectively.

Morale was good at the service. People benefitted from a positive atmosphere and a stable staff team. The provider supported improvements at the service. There were thorough audits to check the quality of care. Feedback was encouraged, and the information gathered was used to make the service better.

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 19 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to check the quality of the service.

Bocking Alms Houses provides personal care support for people with a learning disability within a supported living environment across five of the provider’s housing with care schemes across Essex. In a supported living service, people’s accommodation is provided by separate housing providers or landlords, usually on a rental or lease arrangement. In this situation the care people receive is regulated by CQC, but the accommodation is not. At the time of this inspection there were 26 people receiving support with personal care in accommodation at Bocking, Barnes, Tolpuddle and Beehive Lane.

There was 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.

People told us and relatives confirmed they felt safe from harm and well cared for and supported to develop and maintain their independence. Staff had received training in recognising the signs of abuse and action they should take to safeguard people from the risk of or where they suspected abuse.

There were suitable arrangements to deal with a range of emergencies if needed. Possible risks to people had been identified and guidance was in place to guide staff in steps they should take to mitigate the risk of harm. People received their medicines when they should and staff had received training on the safe administration of medicines.

There was a commitment to ensure people were fully involved and consulted in all aspects of their lives. People and their relatives said staff were caring and kind, and, we observed this to be the case. People were treated with respect and dignity and were involved in decisions about their care. People were asked for their consent before care was provided and staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities with regards to the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

People received effective support from motivated, well trained staff who were knowledgeable about their needs and preferences. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and the provider followed safe recruitment procedures. Staff were supported well and received regular opportunities to discuss their training and development needs.

People's dietary needs were met and their independence was encouraged where this was appropriate and where they needed support this was provided. The service worked with health professionals, when necessary; to ensure people's changing health needs were supported appropriately and responded to when required in a timely manner.

People’s individual needs and preferences had been assessed and implemented in planning their care. People's support plans were person centred. They had up to date information about people, their healthcare, personal care support, likes and dislikes. People were supported to access appropriate health care services to maintain their physical and emotional health with access to a range of health and wellbeing services.

People were encouraged to increase their skills to become independent and provided with a range of suitable activities to encourage social inclusion and develop life skills. The support provided increased confidence and empowered people to achieve their goals.

Complaint procedures were in place and were available in a variety of formats to enable people with varying needs to share their views. People and their relative’s knew how to raise concerns.

The culture of the service was open, inclusive, empowering and enabled people to live as full a life as possible according to their choices, wishes and preferences. The management team provided effective leadership to the service. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and were well supported by their management team.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and identify any area for action. The provider consulted with people to ascertain their views through satisfaction surveys and listening events. This meant they actively planned for continuous improvement of the service they provided.