Watson House

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.

The service had been registered with CQC prior to the publication of Registering the Right Support, in 2017. The provider recognised that the need to ensure the service did not reflect the characteristics of a 'campus style development or congregate setting model', which would not be in line with the principles of this best practice guidance.

The eight homes were situated on a residential street, surrounded by public residential areas. There were no restrictions of access to Purley Park Trust Estate, with each home having its own individual security arrangements according to what was most suitable.

Each service of the eight had their own separate staffing team and facilities, which helped to promote individualised care tailored to people's needs. People could socialise with other people on site if they wished, but their care was developed around their own interests, goals and preferences. The home was in walking distance of the local town and there were bus routes available for people who wished to use public transport. People were connected to their local community, utilising services for their vocation, leisure and social activities.

People's experience of using this service: The provider had a proven track record of successfully supporting people with complex health and behavioural needs, where previous care placements had broken down.

Many people required close monitoring by staff and ongoing input from healthcare professionals. Their historical anxieties around accessing healthcare services had proved to be a barrier to receiving the healthcare they required, resulting in a reduced quality of life. These barriers included past negative experiences and sensitivity to new people and surroundings. Staff provided highly personalised and focussed support to help people effectively overcome these barriers, ensuring they received the healthcare input they needed. This resulted in good outcomes for people, enabling them to live full lives, which were not limited by their healthcare conditions.

The provider had an innate understanding of delivering empathetic and responsive end of life care, fully considering the protected equality characteristic of people's learning disability. Staff worked to ensure people's needs and preferences were at the forefront of how decisions were made and how care was arranged. This resulted in a and person-centred service wide approach to caring for people at the end of their lives.

Relatives and professionals were universal in their praise for the skill and dedication of the provider in ensuring people's needs were met. The provider had consistently delivered high quality care which was intuitive, responsive and individualised.

The provider met people's communication needs and helped them contribute towards making decisions about their care. Staff understood people's preferences and they encouraged people to build meaningful relationships, follow their interests and build upon their skills and abilities. The environment at the home had been adapted to maximise the opportunities for people to be as independent as possible.

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 registered manager was a role model to their staff. They were dedicated, professional and provided effective leadership to staff. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. There were appropriate policies in place to handle people's complaints and act on feedback.

There were safe systems in place in relation to the management of people's medicines. The provider had supported people and medical professionals to minimise the use of some medicines, where possible.

People were supported appropriately with their nutrition and hydration.

There was an open and transparent culture at the service, which was embodied through all branches of the staff team. The service was clean and had a homely atmosphere. People were comfortable in staff's presence. There were enough staff in place, many of whom had established extremely positive working relationships with people.