The Wheelhouse

The Wheelhouse is a four-bedroom house, situated over two floors. There was a homely atmosphere with several communal spaces for people to relax in. This included a large garden and cabin, where people liked to listen to music. People's bedrooms were spacious and decorated to their individual preferences.

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 outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People were safe. Staff knew people and risks to their wellbeing. This meant they understood actions to be taken to minimise risks and support people to feel calm and happy in their home. There were robust risk assessments for people and the building, to ensure the environment was safe to live in. People received their medicines safely from staff who were trained and competent. When incidents occurred, the registered manager and staff worked together to identify lessons learned and act to ensure incidents did not reoccur.

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 had the skills and knowledge to meet people's needs. They had received specialised training in positive behaviour support, autism and epilepsy to understand people and their support needs. Staff also had a thorough induction and regular supervision to support them in their roles. People had regular input from a variety of health and social care professionals to promote their wellbeing. Their nutritional needs were met.

The building had been adapted to ensure that people's preferences and support needs could always be met.

People appeared relaxed and happy around staff they knew well. We observed people interacting with staff by smiling and holding their hands. Staff told us they had mutual respect for people and genuinely enjoyed working at The Wheel House. One staff member said, "It's all about people. We're here for them. That's what it's all about." A relative spoke highly about staff. They said, "Meeting the staff at The Wheel house was absolutely amazing. The show of love around them is very infectious and it was a blessing to see and witness it." A professional was also complimentary, telling us, "I always find the staff very kind & caring at The Wheelhouse and very supportive to people's needs."

People were supported to be involved with activities that they were interested in. This included holidays, trips to the zoo and London, as well as horse-riding and swimming. No complaints had been received since the previous inspection, however there was a clear complaints process that was regularly reviewed with people, relatives and staff. Staff knew people's communication needs well and recognised signs that they were happy or unhappy. Although no one was receiving end of life support at the time of inspection, staff continued to explore people's preferences and choices regarding this.

Everyone we spoke to was complimentary about the registered manager and deputy manager and felt the service was well-led. Staff felt involved in a supportive, team working culture, where they were encouraged to share any concerns and ideas. Feedback was continually sought from people, staff, relatives and professionals to improve the service. The management team were supported by company quality assurance teams to ensure they were up to date with current legislation and guidance.