Woodside Farm House

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 statutory guidance which supports CQC 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: The model of care and setting maximised people's choice, control and independence. Woodside Farm House is near to the centre of St Austell town and people had access to the local community and amenities. Staff supported people to make choices about their daily lives and engage in activities, that were tailored to their individual needs and promoted their independence. People were supported to maintain and develop relationships.

Right care: People received good quality person-centred care that promoted their dignity, privacy and human rights. There was a strong person-centred culture within the staff team. Positive behaviour support plans had been developed for people, to help staff understand the reasons for their behaviour, and provide guidance to ensure consistent approaches were used when supporting people. Staff knew people well and demonstrated an understanding of people's individual care, behavioural and communication needs. This helped ensure people people's views were heard and their diverse needs met.

Right culture: The ethos, values, and attitudes of management and care staff ensured people led confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Staff created an environment that inspired people to understand and achieve their goals and ambitions.

Therefore, they had block booked specific agency staff members to cover the vacant shifts. This ensured shifts were covered by consistent staff. Enough staff were employed each day to meet people's needs, keep them safe and give them the opportunity to take part in their chosen activity.

Medicines were administered and managed safely. Some people were prescribed 'as required' medicines for pain relief or to help them to manage anxiety. Records evidenced that when these medicines were prescribed there was involvement from health and social care professionals as to in what situations and when these medicines should be administered and how they should be reviewed. The organisation agreed they would remind staff of the STOMP (Stopping Over Medication of People with a Learning Disability) principles for the use of certain medicines.

Some 'as required' protocols were not dated and therefore staff would not be assured that this was the most up to date guidance and would not be aware when it was due to be reviewed. The registered manager agreed to address this immediately.

People were offered choice and control and where able, consented to their care and support. Pictures and photographs were used to facilitate effective communication. Staff supported people to be as independent as possible with activities of daily living, such as laundry, cooking, shopping and personal care. People were supported to take part in community activities of their choice and interest.

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.

Staff's knowledge of how people communicated ensured people had maximum control over their lives and how they spent their time. Care and behaviour support plans were accurate and kept under regular review, with the involvement of the person and their family. They provided staff with comprehensive guidance to ensure people's needs were met. Risks were identified and staff had clear instructions to help them support people to reduce the risk of avoidable harm.

Staff were recruited safely. Staff were supported by a system of induction, training, supervisions, appraisals and staff meetings. Staff were appropriately trained, and their competency regularly checked, to ensure people's complex needs were met.

Cleaning and infection control procedures had been updated in line with COVID-19 guidance to help protect people, visitors and staff from the risk of infection. Government guidance about COVID-19 testing for people, staff and visitors was being followed.

People's relatives and staff told us management were approachable and they listened to them when they had any concerns or ideas. All feedback was used to make continuous improvements to the service.