Membership review for Options Ty Ni Cymru
By – Date of visit:
This membership review is intended to reflect the experiences of the visitor who might be looking for a placement. The review is subjective, consistent and impartial, representing the impressions of our team on the day of the visit. It is a snapshot view only.
The contents of this review are intended to cover some of the subjects and issues which an individual, their relatives or their placement officer might ask.
The contents of this review has been published with the written agreement of the home owner, or an authorised representative of the company.
‘Staff I spoke to and observed showed a real understanding of the individuals in their care and of autism in general.’
Summary of findings
The management structure had changed since Living Autism last visited two years previously. Karen Walker was the Registered Manager at the time of this visit and Jason Hughes, who I spent much of the visit with, was her Deputy. The service has become well established over the last couple of years and at the time of my visit had no vacancies. The home itself was very attractive in terms of its presentation both internally and externally. Staff I spoke to and observed showed a real understanding of the individuals in their care and of autism in general. Clinical and specialised support is available from the Professional and Clinical Multi-disciplinary Team based just next door at Kinsale School; an Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist and Assistant Psychologist are available to offer professional support to the service. The Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales last inspected AALPS Cymru in August 2012 and issued no non-compliance notices.
First Impressions
I was greeted at the entrance to the property by a member of staff who looked at my identification badge and then apologised saying she could not let me in until she had spoken to another member of staff as she was quite new and would like someone else to verify my reason for visiting - very impressive. Once inside, I was taken through to the kitchen area and given a brief view of some of the changes in the garden, before entering into discussions with the Deputy Registered Manager, Jason Hughes.
Introduction
AALPS Cymru is a 5-bedded residential home for adults with autism around 3 miles from the North Wales town of Holywell. The service can be found to the left of Kinsale School and is approached via a long drive with fields on one side and a golf course on the other. The service was at full capacity. The hope is that the service for adults in North Wales provided by Options Group may be expanded in the near future. It is situated in the hillside amid stunning countryside overlooking the sea in North Wales.
The Environment (Internal)
The accommodation consists of a kitchen-diner, lounge and five bedrooms on the ground floor, all linked by a glazed corridor which runs the full length of the property forming an attractive façade to the building. Bedrooms have been adapted to meet some quite challenging sensory idiosyncrasies of the individuals. Upstairs there is a further lounge area, which was awaiting some new furniture, in addition to a couple of office spaces.
The Environment (External)
AALPS Cymru is fenced to the rear with iron railings and the remainder is edged by a waist-high brick wall. There is a grassed garden area again to the rear with efforts underway to construct a horticultural area toward the top end of the garden. Some of the bedrooms have access to private patios at the rear of the property.
Wider Environment
AALPS Cymru is situated in a very rural area about three miles from the town of Holywell. It was good to hear that 4 out of the 5 individuals had their own mobility vehicle available on site, AALPS contributed toward the vehicle fuel consumption as well, so all in all it works out really well for the individuals and means trips out can be planned at relatively short notice in a familiar vehicle.
I was really impressed with the fact that the home has its own allotment in the nearby town of Flint and this has not only allowed individuals to gain experience in a horticultural setting, it has also allowed them to integrate into the community. The response to the allotment has been overwhelmingly positive and local people are apparently very interested and supportive. Two individuals were attending Pengwern College in Rhuddlan. One individual was being supported to attend football training at Colwyn Bay Football Club and there were regular trips to the local leisure centre and swimming baths, the Welsh Mountain Zoo, as well as walks in the beautiful local countryside.
Understanding Autism
The five young adults residing at the home at the time I visited had a diagnosis of autism with additional complex and differing needs. Four individuals I have previously mentioned made the transition from Kinsale School situated on adjoining land. The moves took place over a period of time to meet the differing needs of each individual. I briefly observed several staff working with individuals. Some guidance was needed in certain cases and this was delivered in a calm, friendly manner. It was clear that the Deputy Registered Manager had a great understanding of the individuals and the complexities of their behaviour having worked with them for several years over in Kinsale School.
The nature and complexity of the individual conditions at AALPS Cymru mean that anxieties can lead to behaviour which challenges The Options Group have developed along with PRICE (Protecting Rights In a Caring Environment) a bespoke autism intervention package which all staff are trained to use safely. All members of staff working at AALPS Cymru are trained in the use of PRICE which can ultimately involve physical intervention to prevent individuals harming themselves or others. Options Group have worked with the PRICE organisation to adapt approaches which are compatible with individuals on the autistic spectrum focusing almost entirely on de-escalation.
Health and wellbeing
All staff receive Boots medication training as part of their induction. Medication was seen to be stored appropriately and could be easily accessed by staff when required. Medication records were checked twice daily.
As previously mentioned, AALPS Cymru staff can call upon the support of an Assistant Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist to develop programmes to help individuals to overcome obsessions and anxieties and train staff to recognise and manage potential issues.
Jason (Deputy Registered Manager) mentioned that staff had received support from a nutritionist to look at specific areas of an individual’s diet.
Individuals are involved in shopping and preparing food as much as possible even if that means simply ordering over the internet using supermarket ‘click and collect’ services for some.
Individuals living in the home
Staff members I met clearly understood the needs of the individuals living at AALPS Cymru very well. All the young men are limited in their use of verbal language and so picture exchange systems and photographs of objects of reference play an important part in daily communication. Great use is also made of technology to enhance individual communication in various ways at AALPS Cymru. Several individuals have iPads and use a variety of applications to assist them. A couple of individuals use Skype on their computers to keep in contact with family members.
Each young person has a particular area of interest and staff do their utmost to ensure that these interests are developed in the right way. This includes supporting an individual to train at a local football club. Another individual has a real fascination for mechanical and electrical items which can spill over into behaviour which is inappropriate. Staff give the individual as many opportunities as possible to use his skills within acceptable boundaries.
Staffing
All staff are required to have Disclosure and Barring Service checks prior to commencing employment. AALPS Cymru have a settled staff team augmented by occasional use of bank and agency staff. Each individual at AALPS has a designated keyworker and link worker. Staffing ratio worked out at the time of the visit as one to one during the day and three to five at night.
The Options Group has some standardised procedures throughout its adult services and these have been adopted by AALPS Cymru.
Management of the home
Karen Walker, the Registered Manager, had come into post during the previous year and was clearly well respected by colleagues. Karen was having her individual supervision meeting with Options Group Head of Adult Services, Russell Leese, when I visited so I did not speak to her at length.
Karen’s Deputy, Jason Hughes, carries a lot of knowledge regarding the individuals, not just though his time at AALPS Cymru, but also from having worked with several of them at Kinsale School in a previous role. When asked what made AALPS Cymru a unique service Jason suggested that the staff team are very dedicated, describing them as ‘young and dynamic’ and that they are excellent at setting goals for individuals and supporting them to achieve.
Staff supervisions take place generally every 6 weeks. In-depth team handover meetings happen twice a day.
The Options Group have some standardised procedures throughout its adult services and these have been adopted by AALPS Cymru.
All staff receive a staff handbook upon commencing employment and key policies and procedures are available in paper form and also on the Options Group intranet. Staff also receive the Care Council Wales code of practise.
Audits of systems and records were undertaken regularly by the Head of Quality Development, Geoff Evans. Ongoing training for staff is also very much encouraged. Three members of the team at the time of my visit were undertaking a City and Guilds autism unit.
Conclusion
The service has quickly become established in the two years since Living Autism last visited and at the time of my visit had no vacancies. The home itself is very attractive both internally and externally and the fact that it is in such a picturesque location adds to this impression. Staff I spoke to and observed showed a real enthusiasm for their roles and an understanding of the individuals in their care and of autism in general. Clinical and specialised support is available from the Professional and Clinical Multi-disciplinary Team based just next door at Kinsale School. An Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist and Assistant Psychologist are available to offer professional support to the service. All in all, I found AALPS Cymru to be a thoroughly impressive, autism-focused home.
Craig Godding
Director of Operations, Living Autism