Cristal Care pledge to act in the best interests of the people we support at all times by:
- Actively promoting alternatives to medication using TCI and positive behavioural approaches.
- Ensuring that people we support are involved in decisions about their support and receive support to make decisions.
- Ensure that all staff have an understanding of medication and its uses and side effects through training and sharing information.
- Encouraging residents and staff to speak up if they have a concern.
- Maintaining accurate records about health, wellbeing and behaviour of the people we support.
- Supporting people to have regular reviews of their medication.
- Monitoring the use of psychotropic medication.
- Working with our residents, families, health professionals, commissioners and prescribers to stop over medication.
Cristal Care acknowledges that the evidence shows that people with a learning disability, autism or both are more likely to be prescribed medication than other people.
There are 9 residents within Cristal Care who are prescribed psychotropic medication, all have 6 monthly reviews with a Consultant Psychiatrist. In the past 12 months:
- 3 residents have had their medication reduced to good effect.
- 1 resident has had a major review and changed medication regime with a reduction in the number of anti-psychotropic medication and frequency that they take medication, reducing its impact on his lifestyle.
- No residents have an increase in their medication.
- Of 6 people who are prescribed As and When Necessary, PRN, Lorazepam only one person has required its use to reduce anxiety and agitation, the others have been supported in positive ways to become less anxious without medication.
- Information is available to all staff for all the medication that is prescribed for these residents.
- When people have started new medication weekly LUNSER checks have been completed.
- No resident has a plan which includes a physical intervention.
Cristal Care supports people with a learning disability and with autism in a person centred way, people live in their own self contained living environment and in this way the residents have control over their lifestyles. The provision of this specialist environment increases:
- Access to daily choices.
- Promotes independence and individuality/personalisation and develop skills which can replace less functional and challenging behaviours with an emphasis on improving the quality of life for all people we support.
- Allows a person to have their own space and somewhere they can invite friends and family.
- We promote activities within small groups and also in the local community to increase self esteem and develop a sense of community, alongside this we provide access to quiet space when it is required.
- Reduces the stress and anxiety from sharing a space with other people who may have complex support needs.
- Each person is involved in the support planning process and provided with information to support making decisions.
- Promote a Positive Behavioural Approach based on understanding the function of any behaviour and recognising that it has a purpose for that person.
- Each person has a detailed Positive Behaviour Support plan which identifies the setting events and function of different behaviour for each person.
- All staff attend a 3 day introduction to Positive Behavioural Approaches from licensed, qualified instructors who have an annual update and refresher and these skills are updated at least twice a year within reflective sessions and training.
- Any incidents are reviewed through a reflective Life Space Interview which identifies the factors involved in the incident escalating and also enables a review of frequency and changes for each individual.
- Cristal Care does not use any physical interventions at this time.
Cristal Care will continue to commit to STOMP and share this with the Local Authorities and Health Care professionals as a way of supporting the residents within our services in the best possible and person centred way.