Longdown Road

This report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) provides an overview of the inspection of Longdown Road, a care home for up to 10 individuals with learning disabilities and autism. The inspection aimed to assess how well the service upholds the principles of "Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture," which guides CQC's judgments for services supporting people with learning disabilities and autistic people. The findings cover the safety, effectiveness, caring nature, responsiveness, and leadership of the service, offering insights into the daily experiences of residents and the operational standards of the home.

In terms of safety, while staff demonstrated a good understanding of risks and safeguarding, there were significant delays in addressing critical health and safety issues, including gas, Legionella, and fire safety. Some areas of the building also presented hygiene challenges, although infection control procedures were generally followed. The effectiveness of the care provided was impacted by the state of the building's interior, which required refurbishment and repair, and issues with fully promoting residents' independence and skill development. The report noted that the service worked well with healthcare professionals to meet residents' health needs and that care plans were regularly reviewed with family involvement. Regarding the caring aspect, while residents appeared relaxed and staff were respectful, care was not always consistently person-centred, and efforts to promote residents' rights, choice, and independence needed improvement. There were also instances where staff communication methods and accessible information formats were limited, though positive interactions were observed. In relation to responsiveness, the model of care did not always maximise choice and independence, and opportunities for meaningful social and leisure activities were sometimes missed. Furthermore, the allocation and documentation of additional one-to-one support hours required better tracking. On leadership, the quality assurance systems were not always robust, leading to a lack of timely action on identified issues. However, staff reported feeling supported by the registered manager, and family and healthcare professionals provided positive feedback on engagement with the service.