Comprigney Vean

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

There was 1 person living at Comprigney Vean at the time of the assessment.

The provider recognised a consistent staff team was key to providing effective and safe care which the person would be comfortable with and would enable them to develop their skills and manage their anxieties. There was a core staff team who knew the person exceptionally well and had a sound understanding of their routines and what might make them distressed. Staff worked in twos and threes with one member of staff taking the lead to avoid confusion for the person. This meant they were clear who was supporting them and did not become overwhelmed.

There was a clear and positive culture within the staff team of supporting the person to live a full and varied life. Staff knew the person’s preferred method of communication and consistently ensured they made meaningful day to day choices about how and where they spent their time. Staff were alert to the possibility of the person looking to staff for permission to do things such as take a shower or go to bed. They reminded the person this was their decision to make.

Staff were confident and skilled in their roles. They shared information as a team to underpin the consistent approach. Daily notes, ABC charts used to record distressed behaviours and incident forms were used to capture information. These were analysed and any learning shared among the staff team.

There were excellent systems for monitoring and collecting data relating to risks and outcomes. This information was used to drive improvements and improve outcomes for people.Data was analysed regularly and behaviour analysts, the positive support team, the registeredmanagerand staff atComprigneyVeanwere able to respond quickly to any emerging patterns and trends.This collaborative approach and the focus on consistency and continual learning had resulted in positive outcomes for the person. Data showed incidents when the person had been distressed had significantly decreased over time.

The service was overseen by a registered manager and a deputy manager. They worked alongside staff to maintain an excellent working knowledge of the service. Staff received regular supervisions and staff meetings were held. In addition, staff had regular discussions, debriefs were held following any incident and a dedicated telephone chat group was used to support communication and ensure staff were up to date with any changes or learning.

The provider valued their staff. This was demonstrated by their approach to flexible working conditions and investment in training. Staff and a relative were all positive about the leadership and culture of the organisation.

The provider was committed to providing care in line with relevant guidance and best practice. Systems had been developed to protect against closed cultures developing in small services such as Comprigney Vean. Senior managers had discussed the implications of new case law and how they could ensure people’s rights remained protected.