Membership review for Cedar Lodge

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.

‘A true stepping stone to individuals in terms of preparing them for a more independent life without removing the support mechanisms that remain vital’

Summary of findings

Cedar Lodge is set in the beautiful surroundings of the Herefordshire countryside on the same site as Winslow Court and Rowden House, forming what was termed by SENAD as the West Midlands Learning Campus. The Lodge offers something distinct from Winslow Court with an expectation that individuals develop more skills to take responsibility for their own lives, focused on developing skills for more independent living. 

Introduction

Cedar Lodge consisted of 3, 3-bedroom apartments and accommodated individuals between the ages of 19 and 24 years. Cedar Lodge offered a transition service for young adults with autism and moderate learning difficulties. Its purpose was to provide users pathways to independence and all the skills needed to live as meaningful a life as is possible, essentially a transitional service for young adults who were not quite ready for a supported living service or perhaps to live in a satellite home, but who had made progress to suggest they could live a more independent life. 

Cedar Lodge comes under the registration of Winslow Court and gained registration as part of Winslow Court in March 2014.  The Care Quality Commission would inspect Cedar Court when they inspected Winslow Court. Cedar Lodge was classed as part of Winslow Court and did not have its own separate CQC inspection. The last Care Quality Commission inspection of Winslow Court in July 2013 found the service to be compliant in all areas, an improvement on the previous inspection result.

Information regarding Cedar Lodge within the SENAD profile on the Living Autism website was found to be accurate.

First Impressions

If approaching from Bromyard itself then 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. The reception itself was very comfortable and welcoming and had lots of brochures relating to SENAD services on show. I was asked to sign in and was given a visitors pass to wear. I then spent some time with Don Ellsmore (Head of Adult Provision) who discussed with me recent developments and accompanied me around the site. Cedar Lodge is set in its own grounds slightly removed from the main site. As I entered the courtyard at Cedar Lodge a young man excitedly introduced himself and asked me several questions before going back to his activity.

The Environment (Internal)

Only Cedar and Alaska units were open on the day I visited. The structure was very open plan nevertheless retaining a homely feel. 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.

Individuals from Cedar Lodge accessed the new common room that had been formed at Winslow Court 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 West Midlands Learning Campus 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.

The Environment (External)

The Cedar Lodge site was slightly removed from the main West Midlands Learning Campus site and to an extent is hidden from view behind trees. The fact the building is essentially set within the woods gives a real air of peace and serenity and this feeling was developed further with the planting of a sensory pathway on the perimeter of the site. 

There was lots of outside seating around the courtyard of the home. 

There was a horticultural area where plants and vegetables are grown in the spring and summer and there were lots of opportunities for people to become involved in helping out. Adjacent to Cedar Lodge was a brilliant art room that had been constructed from a shipping container and this provided an excellent creative space where young people became involved in things like ‘upcycling’ items of furniture which individuals then helped sell on.

The Environment (Wider environment)

As previously stated The West Midlands Learning Campus is situated in the middle of the countryside and as such there is no 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. 

There was an open day for the site on the 12th of July, The West Midlands Learning Campus were the town’s second biggest employer. 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 residing at Cedar Lodge were reliant upon staff to transport them off site, No individual had their own mobility vehicle; transport from the site was through Winslow Court’s and Cedar Lodge’s own pooled vehicles. 

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.

The speech and language therapist had completed communication profiles for all the individuals at Cedar Lodge. There continued to be usage of handheld devices such as the ‘iPad’ to enhance individual communication development.

SENAD 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.

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 well-being 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-convulsant medication.  Unit managers were based on each unit and performed weekly checks of the medication administration and documentation. , 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. 

Individuals living in the home

Most individuals living at Cedar Lodge had moved from Winslow Court as a first step on the pathway to independence. Most individuals could be described as having autism and an additional moderate learning disability.

Although several individuals used verbal language, some communicated using PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) and there was plenty of evidence of this in the Lodge.

There were a number of activities individuals could get involved with onsite; there was a fairly new indoor sports hall for instance as well as a well-developed art and ceramics area on the Winslow Court site. Individuals from Cedar Lodge had been involved in the creation of some really great items notably the upcycled furniture which had been sold to raise money for other activities and for trips out. A really self-sufficient cottage industry. 

Staffing

A ratio of four staff to 6 people in each flat or unit was seen as optimal; this of course depends on the individuals within the group. There was a good ratio of staff to individuals on the day of the visit; at least one-to-one. Don Ellsmore stated that agency staff were rarely used and if they were a preferred agency was utilised with only staff that have been through the training programme undertaken by West Midlands Learning Campus’s own staff. No staff were allowed to work with individuals at Winslow Court without having gone through Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Some staff were undertaking the Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) Level 3 Award.

Management of the home

Dawn Hunt was the manager at Winslow Court with Don Ellsmore being Registered Manager for the adult services on the campus site. 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. 

Cedar Lodge 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

Cedar Lodge was seen to offer a true stepping stone to individuals in terms of preparing them for a more independent life without removing the support mechanisms that remain vital to managing how their autistic condition affects their lives. The support of the Interdisciplinary Team also enhanced the overall ability of the staff team to keep individuals developing, engaged and happy. 

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Visiting Officer - Craig Godding
Director of Compliance and Client Liaison, Living Autism