A Warrington care home specialising in providing support for autistic people and those with a learning disability has been rated “Good” in all areas by the Care Quality Commission.
Lilford Court at Birchwood, is a residential care home providing personal care to up to eight people. The service provides support to autistic people and people with a learning disability.
At the time of the inspection, which was prompted by concerns about restrictions in place for one person, there were eight people using the service.
Run by Autism Initiatives UK Lilford Court comprises of two semi-detached houses, each with its own large garden.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that mostpeople take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
Lilford Court is located in a residential area, within easy reach of local shops and amenities.
There were enough staff to meet people’s care and support needs and support people to take part in activities of their choice. Staff were safely recruited and completed the training required to carry out their roles.
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 knew how people communicated their needs and choices.
People’s needs were assessed before moving to the service. Person-centred care records identified people’s preferences, support needs and potential risks. Guidance was provided to manage these risks. People were supported to maintain their health and wellbeing. People received their medicines as prescribed. Some areas of the home were not always clean. The registered manager said they would address this.
Relatives were positive about the care and support provided. People received kind and compassionate care.
Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to people’s individual needs.
People and their relatives were positive about living at Lilford Court. They were involved in agreeing and reviewing their care. Relatives said there was good communication with the home. Staff enjoyed working at Lilford Court and felt listened to by the registered manager. A quality assurance system was in place. Actions were completed where any issues had been identified.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about restrictions in place for one person and staff knowledge for supporting autistic people. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
The CQC found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.
They will continue to monitor information they receive about the service, which will help inform when the next inspect.
