Avenues South East - 2a Higham Road

Avenues South East - 2a Higham Road is a residential home providing care and support for three people with learning disabilities. The service is part of a group of homes managed by the Avenues Trust. People who lived in the home had autism and communication difficulties.

At the last Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection on 03 November 2015, the service was rated Good in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive domains and Requires Improvement in Well Led with overall Good rating.

We recommended to the provider to seek advice and guidance from a reputable source, about how to keep records well organised and consistent. This was because we found that they had not quickly identified and responded to gaps, inconsistencies and contradictions in records which required addressing.

At this inspection we found the service remained good.

The registered manager provided good leadership. They checked staff were focussed on people experiencing good quality care and support. People and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about how the service could be improved. This was used to make changes and improvements that people wanted. Records were consistent and robust.

People continued to be safe at Avenues South East - 2a Higham Road. Staff knew what their responsibilities were in relation to keeping people safe from the risk of abuse. Staff recognised the signs of abuse and what to look out for. There were systems in place to support staff and people to stay safe.

Medicines were managed safely and people received them as prescribed.

There were enough staff to keep people safe. The registered manager had appropriate arrangements in place to check the suitability and fitness of new staff.

Each person had an up to date, personalised support plan, which set out how their care and support needs should be met by staff. These were reviewed regularly. Staff received regular training and supervision to help them to meet people's needs effectively.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their needs. They also received the support they needed to stay healthy and to access healthcare services. Staff encouraged people to actively participate in activities, pursue their interests and to maintain relationships with people that mattered to them.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The provider and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Staff showed they were caring and they treated people with dignity and respect and ensured people's privacy was maintained particularly when being supported with their personal care needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The registered manager ensured the complaints procedure was made available in an accessible format if people wished to make a complaint. Regular checks and reviews of the service continued to be made to ensure people experienced good quality safe care and support.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found