Membership review for 4 Park Avenue

 

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.

Summary of findings

I found the staff and general atmosphere at 4 Park Avenue to be very welcoming and friendly. The house was deceptively large and the layout very open. There appeared to be a strong staff team in place with very little staff turnover. I did not see a structured approach to communication in terms of the use of picture exchange schemes or any individual ‘now and next’ displays, however Delroy Gordon, the Registered Manager explained they were working on these systems before I had broached the subject and I did feel staff made every attempt to communicate appropriately with the individuals I met.

Overall I would see 4 Park Avenue as being a good placement for an individual with autism and learning difficulties who would enjoy being in a city based environment.

Introduction

4 Park Avenue is one of a number of homes run by the Hoffman Foundation in the Nort London area. It provides accommodation with personal care for a maximum of six adults with autism. On the day of the visit there were 5 individuals residing there. Park Avenue is located within walking distance of Wood Green Underground Station and it is situated next door to The Autism Hub which is run by the Hoffman Foundation and functions as a day service providing, amongst other things, artistic and horticultural activities for individuals.

First Impressions

4 Park Avenue is situated about 15 minutes walk away from Wood Green tube station in North London. Despite that being a very busy bustling area I found Park Avenue to be an oasis of calm. I was met at the door by Antonia, the Deputy Manager, and taken through to the kitchen where I was asked to put an entry into the signing in book. I then spoke to Antonia for a while before having a look around the house.

The Environment (External)

The property had quite a large outdoor space and grassed area. There was some outdoor furniture and also some barbecue equipment in evidence.

There was also a horticultural area at the end of the garden which was utilised by both the individuals living at 4 Park Avenue and by people attending The Autism Hub next door. Staff indicated on the day of the visit that 4 Park Avenue had enjoyed largely good relations with the neighbours, only receiving occasional phone calls, usually regarding vocalisations from one individual.

The Environment (Internal)

The house has a really spacious feel overall, the kitchen and dining area especially. The bedrooms themselves were also large. Individuals were allowed to personalise their rooms as they chose, however one individual was not tolerant of many items in his room. There had been consultations with individuals at the home with regard to the colour of the décor and soft furnishings.  Art that the individuals had created at the Autism Hub art project adorned many of the walls of the house. None of the rooms were en-suite and this works well for one individual who, as previously mentioned, is intolerant of too many items in his room.

The Wider Environment

4 Park Avenue is right next door to a bustling neighbourhood in North London and very close to Central London; therefore, every possible amenity is available within a short journey. Nobody had use of their own motability vehicle, however the house had its own minibus and, of course, the transport system in London is extensive. Individuals at 4 Park Avenue regularly go bowling, swimming and to the cinema. Alexandra Park is also nearby.

Understanding Autism

The Registered Manager and Deputy were very experienced and have worked with individuals on the autistic spectrum for many years.

In terms of issues around communication, the Speech and Language Therapist from the local hospital worked with one individual in particular at 4 Park Avenue and another lady used sign language. The Deputy Registered Manager stated that several members of staff had attended signing courses to aid their communication with this individual.

Visual communication tools to meet the needs of individuals were not seen to be displayed in areas around the home and the Registered Manager stated that was something they were planning to work on. Indeed ‘structured learning’ based on  something similar to the principals of ‘Intensive Interaction’, an approach for teaching communication skills to children and adults who have autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties who are still at early stages of development was going to be the main theme of the staff meeting on the afternoon of the day of my visit with the idea that this would be completely implemented at 4 Park Avenue by June 2013.

Antonia did not feel there was anybody living at the home with particular sensory needs although she did mention that one individual did not like it when there was shouting.

Health and Wellbeing

Individuals were encouraged to eat a balanced diet and were given choices of meals. Staff told me that they had consulted previously with a local NHS based nutritionist and, should the need arise, would do so again, although no one on the day of the visit was on any sort of restricted or special diet. Individuals were encouraged to help in the preparation of their own meals to whatever ability they had. One lady prepared many of her meals with some supervision.

The Hoffman Foundation carry out their own medication training which includes particular reference to epilepsy as some individuals at 4 Park Avenue were described to have petit mal seizures on occasion. Boots Pharmacy provided the medication to 4 Park Avenue and I did observe a lockable storage for medication. The fire extinguishers around the building were all in special enclosures due to one individual’s potential to throw the extinguishers when anxious.

Individuals in the home

On the day of the visit 5 individuals resided at 4 Park Avenue. All the individuals had a diagnosis of autism with additional learning difficulties; many could exhibit behaviour that could put themselves and others at risk. Antonia spoke with pride at how  the clear and consistent boundaries demonstrated by staff had enabled staffing levels to be reduced. Several of the individuals had been receiving 2 to1 staffing levels on arrival.

Activities for individuals were planned with the person’s key-worker. These activities were scrutinised periodically by Delroy and Antonia to ensure that they were meaningful and fulfilling for the individual. Antonia stated that it was unusual to see many individuals at the home during the day and this was borne out by the fact that there was no-one at home when I arrived.

As previously mentioned, Haringey Council seemed quite proactive in supporting and providing day activities for individuals; so, as well as Hoffman’s own Autism Hub next door, the Markfield Project in Haringey http://www.markfield.org.uk/ offered numerous activities throughout the day and evening.

I met two individuals when they returned from a trip out and one lady kindly showed me her room which had been decorated and furnished with her choice of colour scheme. She clearly was very proud of it and kept it meticulously clean and tidy. Although no individuals look after their own finances independently one person is given a 5 pound note every day and was purchasing some basic items from that.

Staffing

I spoke to several members of the staff team including one of the waking night staff. I was impressed by their overall knowledge and their respect for the individuals living in the home and for one another. When staff were recruited, references and Criminal Record Bureau checks were carried out and no new staff members were allowed to start work before clearance had been achieved. New staff received a general induction before beginning a two week induction period at 4 Park Avenue. All staff members had qualified to NVQ level 2 and many had reached level 3.

Staff supervisions took place on a monthly basis and these were conducted in the main by Antonia, the Deputy Registered Manager.

All staff working at 4 Park Avenue were trained in the use of Studio 3 de-escalation techniques to aid management of challenging behaviour.

Management of the Home

Delroy Gordon, the Registered Manager, had spent 20 years working for the Hoffman Foundation and, as well as 4 Park Avenue, he managed one of the other Hoffman services based in Wembley. Antonia, the Deputy Manager, also had a number of years working for the Hoffman Foundation and for other care organisations.

Care plans for each individual were reviewed every six months and reviews were taking place annually.

On the day of the visit staffing levels were maintained at 3 on the morning shift and 3 for the evening shift. At night there was one sleep-in person and one waking night staff member. I understood that 4 Park Avenue was due to accept an individual for a 3 month respite period and that staffing levels were to be raised accordingly. The scale of fees ranged between £1,116 to £1,620 per week, at the time of the visit.

Summary of findings

I found the staff to be open, warm and friendly. The house was large with an open layout. The staff team appeared to be a close knit group who supported each other well. There were perhaps some advances to be made in areas around communication and  this was acknowledged; however, this did not alter my belief that the staff knew the individuals living at the home very well.

From the evidence seen on the day of the visit I believe 4 Park Avenue to be a good placement for an individual with autism and learning difficulties who would enjoy a city based environment.