Eastbourne & District Mencap - Arundel Road

Medicines were managed safely. Each person's medicines were given by their own designated staff member who was supporting them throughout the day. Some people required epilepsy medicines to help them whilst having a seizure. Each person's guidance around this medicine was clear and staff knew exactly what should be given at what point to protect the person.

There were clear infection, prevention and control (IPC) procedures to keep people safe. People and staff's individual risks relating to COVID-19 were assessed and measures put into place to reduce the risk of infection. The registered manager told us about the importance of following infection control procedures whilst trying to maintain a homely environment.

There were systems in place to monitor the service and the provider strived to continuously develop to achieve good outcomes for people. The culture of the service focused on what people could achieve, and staff told us the registered manager provided a pro-active lead in supporting people to reach their goals and achieve new things.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, 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 providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support: • Model of care and setting maximises people's choice, control and Independence. People living at the home had been supported to personalise their bedrooms and choose the colour of their walls, their furniture and items from home. There were no signs outside the home identifying it as a care home. People were supported to move freely around the home and there was a 'safe' kitchen for people to

use as and when they chose to. The registered manager had made changes to the environment to encourage people living there to get involved in the daily running of the home. For example, the full length gate had been removed from the main kitchen door and people were able to sit in the room with staff and be involved in the preparation of food.

Right care: • Care is person-centred and promotes people's dignity, privacy and human rights. People were supported by the same staff member throughout the day. This meant that people received continuous and focused support that promoted person-centred care. Activities at the home were designed around each individual and achievements were celebrated.

Right culture: • Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. We heard multiple accounts from staff and relatives about how the values of the service had improved and leadership of the service had led the way for people to be supported to live more empowered lives. Relatives of people were very positive about the changes the registered manager had made to the service and to people's individual lives.