Published 25 April 2023
Life at the Furlong Close supported living community in Rowde is going from strength-to-strength following the appointment of our Agincare Enable (Swindon and Wiltshire) service as the new provider of personal care and support. The improvement has been recognised by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors who found the service ‘Good’ in both the ‘Safe’ and ‘Well-led’ categories in a report published on 17 April following an unannounced visit in March.
It is the first inspection since we started supporting people living in the Close, and was conducted by two CQC inspectors and an expert by experience (someone who has personal experience of the same type of care service, of whose findings impact on the inspectors’ judgement).
Nigel, who lives at Furlong Close, said:
I feel very happy about us getting a good rating!
Furlong Close currently provides a home to 28 people living in six bungalows; each person lives with a learning disability, autistic spectrum condition or physical disability. The inspection report featured many positive comments from people living at Furlong Close and their relatives, as well as health and social care professionals.
Agincare Enable Area Manager Pete Bates added:
The people we support are now living far more independently, and are all playing active roles within the community in which they live which is absolutely brilliant, and so rewarding to see.
Glowing comments in the report from people living at Furlong Close and their families were great for the team to read, and it’s rewarding that all their incredible commitment since Agincare Enable started delivering support has been recognised as Good by the CQC’s inspectors.
Lasting independence for everyone
The ethos at Furlong Close is founded on personalised care and choice, supporting each person’s independence as part of the wider community to enjoy a rich and rewarding life. That includes choosing and being supported to enjoy trips out and holidays, holding jobs, volunteering, attending social clubs, and enjoying hobbies and activities like horse-riding or church bell ringing.
LIFE (Lasting Independence For Everyone) sessions are based on activities people would like to learn, places they would like to go and challenges they would like to overcome. Sessions are designed to be a fun and engaging way to learn important life skills, such as domestic chores, cooking, first aid, money management and communication skills to live as independently as possible. Find the CQC report inspection report and more about Furlong Close.
About the Furlong Close Care Quality Commission inspection
The inspection was conducted by two CQC inspectors and an expert by experience (someone who has personal experience of the same type of care service, of whose findings impact on the inspectors’ judgement).The inspectors sought feedback from 17 people who use the service, 5 professionals and 3 relatives. They spoke with the registered manager, 2 service managers and 6 members of staff. They reviewed people’s records including medicine files, risk assessments and care plans. They reviewed recruitment systems, staffing levels and rotas.
They carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. They checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. They looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. View the inspection report.
About Agincare Enable
Our Agincare Enable service supports adults with a learning disability, autistic spectrum condition or physical disability, particularly where this presents in a complex way. It has extensive experience and includes day support, community outreach and supporting living. Enable is part Agincare, a leading family owned care provider with over 35 years of experience built up across a range of services across the country.