Hampshire Care Service Upgraded to ‘Good’ by Regulators

A Southampton service which provides support to adults with autism is celebrating after its rating was upgraded to ‘Good’ following the latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

The regulator’s report on Oakhurst Loge praised the high standard of care offered at the service and highlighted many areas of positive practice, saying management were “committed to delivering a good quality service” and that staff were “supportive and kind”.

The service, on Lyndhurst Road, Southampton, is part of the Cygnet Social Care division, and offers an 8 bed specialist residential service for adults with autism and who may present with behaviours that challenge.

The unannounced inspection looked at all five key lines of enquiry. Improvements were identified in the ‘Safe’ and ‘Well Led’ domains and as a result the service now has a good rating across all five domains; Safe, Well-Led, Caring, Responsive and Effective.

The full report detailed how the caring nature of staff at the service ensured residents had “independence, choice, and control over their lives”.

Families spoken to as part of the inspection said their loved one appeared happy at the service and were well looked after by staff, with carers saying communication at the service had improved, staff knew their loved one well and were receiving the appropriate support.

Feedback from relatives included;

• “The home is always clean and tidy. Whenever we go to visit our relative, the home always looks nice.”

• “When we take our relative back to the home, staff come out to meet them. We’ve noticed our relative is happy to interact with the staff.”

• “The staff always smile and seem to have a good rapport with our relative and they are happy to walk inside.”

• “My relative did not want to go out previously. But the staff give them choice and support, and they will now go out to the shop. They worked together towards this, and we are very happy they are doing this.”

• “Staff have supported our relative to go bowling and trampolining. We are pleased to know they are encouraging our relative with more activities.”

Cygnet Social Care Service manager Laura Brooks said she was proud of her team for their dedication and commitment to delivering a first class service to residents.

She added: “I want to say a huge congratulations to the team at Oakhurst Lodge and thank you to everyone at Cygnet Social Care who helped along the way.

“Through hard work and determination we are able to celebrate a fantastic CQC report and I am so happy that the quality of care we deliver has been recognised by the regulator.

“The service has a bright future ahead and we are all committed to ensuring residents and their needs are put first at all times and that we continue to offer care which helps them lead the best lives possible.”

Praising the person-centred care, the report read: “People’s care plans are personalised and were detailed and provided a clear picture of who the person was and how they liked to be supported.

“People’s needs were assessed, and care and support were delivered in line with current standards to achieve effective outcomes. Staff recorded people’s likes, dislikes and choices.

“Staff worked well together, and with professionals both internally and externally to the home which benefited the people they were supporting.

“We observed people being communicated with, using their preferred methods, and given choices. There was an open activity cupboard with lots of options for activities.

“We saw there was a quiet room, sensory room, and a large garden providing people with a choice of activity.”

To read the full report, go to https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-2957811372/reports/AP2675/overall