Membership review for Winslow Court
By – Date of visit:
The 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 member 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.
This review has been published with the written agreement of the home owner, or an authorised representative of the company.
‘My observation was that there was a real understanding of autism demonstrated on several levels’
Summary of findings
Winslow Court is set in the beautiful surroundings of the Herefordshire countryside. I was really impressed by the ethos and ambience of the place when I visited two years ago and I felt that this had been augmented in a variety of ways from the full implementation of a person-centred planning framework to the full adoption of Non-Abusive Psychological & Physical Intervention (NAPPI) training. More prevalent use of Picture Exchange Communication Systems and various positive adaptations to the environment were evident also.
It was also noteworthy that Winslow Court had improved and expanded onsite accommodation for parents/family who might wish to stay close to their son or daughter for an extended period.
Introduction
Winslow Court is a 26 bed residential facility just outside the small market town of Bromyard in rural Herefordshire. Although not all the individuals at Winslow Court have an autism diagnosis the majority of individuals have autism together with profound learning and other disabilities.
The last CQC inspection in July 2013 found the service to be compliant in all areas, an improvement on the previous inspection result.
Information on the Winslow Court Living Autism profile was found to be correctly recorded.
First Impressions
If approaching from Bromyard itself you need to turn left (Signposted Rowden) about half a mile after leaving the town. Follow the road round and you will then see signposts for Rowden House School and Winslow Court. The approach is up a long drive surrounded by trees. You could clearly see the school and residential complex as you emerged into the car park. Reception is clearly signposted. I was met in reception by Don Ellsmore, the Registered Manager. Reception itself, which was staffed throughout the day, was very comfortable and welcoming and had lots of brochures about Winslow Court and other SENAD services on show. I was asked to sign in and given a visitors badge to wear. I then spent some time with Don Ellsmore (Registered Manager) who discussed with me the current situation at Winslow Court and accompanied me around the site.
The Environment (Internal)
The accommodation at Winslow Court is split into roughly four different flats although there are some single units. I was able to see that rooms were individualised and some accommodation had been adapted to take into account individual sensory differences.
There had been changes in the kitchen and lounge areas of three of the flats since I last visited and this involved the opening out of the kitchens into kitchen/diner type areas which were more spacious and inviting, also allowing staff to observe more easily from a distance.
It is clear that on occasion individuals do become anxious and frustrated and this could lead to some outbreaks of violence toward other individuals or the environment, however, I did not see any damage either internally or externally. Don Ellsmore informed me that there was a maintenance team based on site which had clearly been involved in some excellent work as well as general maintenance, developing shipping containers into specialist spaces like the art room at Cedar Lodge.
Winslow Court had further developed onsite accommodation for visiting family members with large, well-equipped caravans in the wooded area that allowed families to stay either with their son or daughter or just to allow them to be close so they could spend as much time as possible with them.
A new common room had been formed to allow individuals to come and watch films on a big widescreen television, play pool and generally chill out. The room could be accessed at all times of the day and evening.
The Environment (External)
The site itself had lots of grassed and tree-lined areas. There was a lovely tranquil vista to gaze at in most directions and this gave an air of peace which could only be a positive thing for the majority of individuals residing at Winslow Court. There was a lot of outside seating and there was a horticultural area where plants and vegetables were grown in the spring and summer. At the time of the visit the SENAD’s ‘Rowden in Bloom’ competition was running. The competition was open to every house, the young people at Rowden House School, Cedar Lodge and residents at Winslow Court, Orchard End and Park House.
The Environment (Wider environment)
As previously stated Winslow Court is situated in the middle of the countryside and as such there is not much in the way of public transport in the vicinity. The nearest town is Bromyard which is approximately a mile and a half away. Staff reported good relations with the community on the whole.
Winslow Court was having an open day on July 12th. Winslow Court and the neighbouring Rowden House school were the town’s second biggest employers. Hereford and Worcester are the nearest major cities and various amenities were accessed in those areas from both an educational (Worcester and Hereford Colleges) and leisure (Cinema and swimming baths) perspective.
Individuals from Winslow Court also regularly attended ‘Yam Jams’ in Hereford which offered participants a unique musical experience and a social opportunity for people of all abilities in a community setting. Individuals residing at Winslow Court were reliant upon staff to transport them off site, but that said, at the time of my visit there was no one at Winslow Court who had the capacity to make their way on public transport without support.. No individual had their own mobility vehicle. Don Ellsmore informed me that SENAD were looking at developing a relationship with a company called ‘Hoople’, based in Hereford who could offer both training to staff and Learning for Work apprenticeship awards for individuals based across SENAD’s Herefordshire sites.
Understanding Autism
My observation was that there was a real understanding of autism demonstrated on several levels. The environment, as mentioned in the previous section, was seen to be key as alterations had been made to cater for individuals' particular sensory issues. On an individual level, staff were observed interacting positively with young people and offering choice in a simplified understandable manner. Also, in discussion, staff members were very clear in their understanding of how certain things would impact on someone with autism. This gave me the impression that staff knew the people they were working with very well.
The adoption of NAPPI (Non-Abusive Psychological & Physical Intervention) training had been seen to reduce incidents of physical intervention which was very good to hear.
Each flat had a member of staff that had an ‘Autism Champion’ to ensure that autism issues remained at the forefront of staff’s minds.
Health and Wellbeing
The staff team had extensive clinical support from a Psychologist, a Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist under the title of the Inter Disciplinary Team. There was also a Health Promotion Manager who brought together all the wellbeing issues for each individual and monitored their progress in conjunction with keyworkers and the Inter Disciplinary Team.
Key members of staff were trained to administer anti-convulsent medication. The Unit managers were based on each unit and performed weekly checks of the medication administration and documentation. There was no nutritionist on site, however, any dietary issues were discussed with the local NHS professionals or the local General Practitioner.
Individuals were often shopping for ingredients for meals and snacks and then helping to prepare meals on site.
The Speech and Language Therapist had completed communication profiles for all the individuals at Winslow Court. There continued to be usage of handheld devices such as the ‘iPad’ to enhance individual communication development.
Some adaptations had been made to individual living spaces to take into account an individual’s epilepsy.
Winslow Court have also employed a Neuro-linguistic practitioner to offer an innovative approach to communication, personal development, and psychotherapy, Don commented that it had worked very well so far with some individuals.
Individuals living in the home
The majority of individuals living at Winslow Court could be described as having autism and an additional moderate to severe learning disability; a number also had epilepsy.
One young man had just returned to Winslow after having surgery and he still had a catheter inserted which was clearly not going to be comfortable. Nevertheless it could not be removed and staff were closely monitoring him to ensure he did not remove it himself.
Many individuals communicated using a PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) and that was very evident throughout and was definitely more prevalent since my last visit.
The art and ceramics area continued to be much utilised and one individual was now able to ‘turn’ pottery. Individuals from Winslow Court have been involved in the creation of some really great items which have been sold to raise money for other activities and for trips out, a really self-sufficient cottage industry.
There was clear evidence of staff responding to cultural needs. One Sikh young man was being supported in terms of his diet and attendance at a local Sikh temple. Several other young people are also supported to attend local churches.
Staffing
A ratio of four staff to 6 people in each unit is seen as optimal This of course depends on the individuals within the group. My experience was that there seemed to be enough staff around to cope with the needs of the individuals. Don Ellsmore stated that agency staff are rarely used and if they were, a preferred agency was utilised with only staff that have been through the training programme undertaken by Winslow Court’s own staff.
No staff are allowed to work with individuals at Winslow Court until they have completed a Disclosure and Barring Service checks.
Several staff had achieved the Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) Level 3 Award.
Management of the home
Don Ellsmore was registered manager at Winslow Court and each unit had its own manager supported by individual keyworkers and activity co-ordinators. Policies and procedures relating to the running of the home were available for staff to peruse. Staff supervisions were carried out on a monthly basis. There was a staff handbook supplied to each member of staff which covered areas such as appropriate conduct and dress, as well as support mechanisms.
There was an independent counselling service purchased externally by the company for staff to use.
Winslow Court staff were recruited through a ‘values based’ system which included a telephone interview and psychometric test before proceeding to a formal interview situation where individuals from the service may form part of the interview panel.
As previously mentioned, a change in the behaviour management strategy had taken place. As part of that change there had been a change from the over-arching MAPPA to NAPPI (Non-Abusive Psychological & Physical Intervention) which was part of the adopting of a new ‘Positive Behaviour Support’ strategy.
Conclusion
Last time I visited Winslow Court it was a service in the process of adopting new positive strategies in working with individuals. My observation was this time around that the service had really embraced these positive changes. My feeling was both in terms of the staff and the environment that there was a real focus and understanding of autism. The environment was calm and tranquil set in a beautiful location, and all the staff I spoke with were very open, friendly and helpful. I would have no hesitation in recommending this service for individuals with autism and additional complex needs.
Visiting Officer - Craig Godding
Director of Operations, Living Autism