- Care home
Lilac Cottage
Report from 5 November 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 19 November to 25 November 2024. Lilac Cottage supports people to live independently in their own flats with shared communal areas. An assessment has been undertaken of a specialist service that is used by autistic people or people with a learning disability. We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgments 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. The service had made improvements since the last inspection and is no longer in breach of regulation. Staff understood and supported people to manage risks. There were enough staff with the right skills who had undergone specific training to support people safely. Staff managed medicines safely. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly and took action to ensure mitigation was put in place. People and their relatives were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication preferences to ensure they were as involved as possible. Where people were subject to restrictions on their liberty, these had been assessed and discussed with people appropriately. People had choice over their care and were encouraged to use assistive technology to maintain relationships with family and friends using their iPhones and iPads. People were treated with kindness. Staff protected people’s dignity. The service worked alongside other professionals to ensure people got access to health care. The service provided information people could understand, taking into account their sensory needs. Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening and trust. Leaders recognised when staff needed resting periods throughout the day. Staff felt supported. Comments included, “The manager is good. Really supportive."
People's experience of this service
People were positive about the quality of their care. People said they received high quality care from knowledgeable staff who treated them as individuals. Comments included, “The staff are great they help me in my flat. They knock on the door before they come in.” People were fully involved in planning their care and understood their rights. One person said, “I have a support plan.” We observed people being safely supported in the communal areas. Staff were asking people what they would like to cook for lunch, and if they needed support to clean their flats. A family member told us their relative was safe and well looked after. They said, “Yes, the staff are great, I couldn’t ask for better, [relative] is happy and well taken care of.” Another family member told us, “They have come on leaps and bounds. The manager is great, and she always keeps me in the loop with anything. [Relative] was asked for their permission for this to take place. I do feel they advocate well for people.” Person centred care was paramount, and each person’s support plan was completely unique to them and how they chose to spend their time. One family member told us, “The difference in [relative] since moving to Lilac Cottage is amazing. They are doing so much more for themselves. Things a young person should be doing.” Some people could not directly tell us about their experience. We used a structured observation tool to assess whether they received good care. This approach showed people were included and listened to and staff consistently interacted positively with them. We saw information was made available to people in different formats to aid their understanding. This helped them make more informed choices around healthcare and other areas they were likely to experience inequalities.