Avenues South East - 87 Westbrook Avenue

This report summarises an inspection of 87 Westbrook Avenue, a care home providing personal care for up to three individuals with learning disabilities. The inspection aimed to assess the overall quality of the service and ensure it meets legal requirements. The home is designed to promote independence and inclusion, allowing residents to live fulfilling lives within their community. The report details findings across five key areas, offering insight into the daily experience of residents and the effectiveness of the care provided.

On safety, residents feel secure and are well protected from harm, with staff knowledgeable about safeguarding procedures and thoroughly trained. Medicines are managed securely and accurately, and risk assessments are regularly reviewed to support people's independence while mitigating potential dangers. The home is clean, well-maintained, and equipped with necessary safety features like personal emergency evacuation plans.

In terms of how effective the care is, residents' needs are thoroughly assessed and reviewed, ensuring staff can respond promptly to any changes. Staff receive ongoing training and support, including specialised training for working with individuals with learning disabilities. People are supported to maintain their health through regular access to healthcare professionals and involvement in meal planning and preparation. While most care is effective, there was a minor point regarding the documentation of decisions made when an individual lacks capacity and ensuring conditions on Deprivation of Liberty authorisations are clear.

Regarding how caring the service is, staff demonstrate kindness, compassion, and respect, with a deep understanding of residents' individual needs and communication styles. Residents appear happy and relaxed, and their privacy is maintained. Staff actively involve residents in their daily routines and activities, encouraging independence and respecting personal choices, such as supporting a resident's wish for a home visit from a priest.

In terms of how responsive the service is, support plans are individualised, comprehensive, and regularly updated, helping residents achieve their personal goals and aspirations. The service actively develops activities to promote wellbeing and community engagement, although there is an opportunity to further enhance how activity choices are presented to residents. Residents are supported to maintain relationships and have their wishes for end-of-life care recorded and respected.

On how well-led the service is, the management is effective, with staff understanding and supporting the provider's vision of community inclusion. Regular audits and checks ensure practices remain safe, and lessons are learned from incidents and complaints to drive improvement. While staff have opportunities to share feedback, the analysis of recent quality surveys was pending, meaning no immediate action plan based on these results was yet available.