Care home rated Outstanding for risk-taking

A Shropshire-based care home has been rated Outstanding for its approach to risk-taking and emotional development.

Welwyn care home, which provides support for people with learning difficulties, was praised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for encouraging residents to take risks.

The CQC inspection report, published on 7 September 2016, found Welwyn care home encouraged residents’ personal development by taking potentially negative incidents and turning them into valuable learning opportunities. For example, when a piece of equipment failed while a resident was using it, the home manager, Hazel Rice, decided to involve the resident in all future health and safety checks.

Referring to the incident, Mrs Rice said: “It happened, there is no denying it. What we had to do was ensure it didn’t happen again and for [the resident] to feel confident in using the piece of equipment again.

“The best way to do this was to make sure they were in charge of putting it right.”

Doing something scary makes you feel alive

On the day of inspection, residents attended a local cycling track, an activity which, according to one resident, would have been considered too “dangerous” for them before moving to Welwyn.

Staff believe that there are risks involved in over-protecting people and the risks of not doing an activity such as cycling far outweigh any potential risks of harm. One member of staff said: “Sometimes doing something that makes you a little scared makes you feel alive. Why would we deny the people we support that?”

The head of care and support at Welwyn added: “Someone should not be discriminated against and prevented from taking part in the things you and I do because they have a disability. This is often unconscious discrimination because people were afraid to take risks.

“If someone experienced restriction based on risk then we now see it as an opportunity to explore something different with them.”

As a result of the home’s encouragement of risk, residents are able to better manage emotions, good and bad, without it becoming an issue or a risk in itself. The report by CQC noted that these coping skills developed through risk-taking were transferable and beneficial to residents in all aspects of their lives.

In addition to having a positive risk-taking attitude, staff at Welwyn were described as “caring, respectful and kind” and supportive in helping residents achieve their goals.

Deb Holland, CQC’s head of inspection for adult social care in the central region, said: “Our inspection team were impressed by the level of care and support observed at Welwyn… People received a high standard of care, which is why it has been rated Outstanding.”

CQC inspectors rate adult social care services according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Welwyn was rated Outstanding overall and for safety and responsiveness and Good for the remaining criteria.

A full report of the inspection can be found on the CQC website: http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/new_reports/INS2-2303497438.pdf