Options Hazel House

Updated 9 July 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Two inspectors carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

Options Hazel House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Options Hazel House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. There was a manager who had applied to become registered with the Care Quality Commission and this application was ongoing at the time of the inspection.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service was small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We communicated with three people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. People who used the service who were unable to talk with us but used different ways of communicating including using Makaton, pictures, photos, symbols, objects and their body language.

We spoke with five members of staff including the manager, the deputy manager, the team leader and two care staff.

We spent time observing people around the service throughout the inspection. We did not use the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We decided the SOFI was not appropriate due to people not remaining in one area of the service for prolonged periods of time which would have made data collection difficult.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 9 July 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Options Hazel House is a residential care home specialising in autism care and was providing personal care to three people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to four people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support

The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs. Staff supported people with their medicines in a way which achieved best possible health outcomes. Staff did everything they could to avoid restraining people, following tailored positive behaviour support plans. The service recorded when this happened, but this was rare as it was often avoided.

The service supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence. The service encouraged people to be involved fully in discussions about their support and plans, holding a weekly meeting for people to decide on activities and meals. People were supported by staff to pursue their interests and to achieve their aspirations and goals. For example, one person was supported to pursue horse riding, something they had shown an interest in. People’s rooms were personalised, and they were able to make choices about their living environment.

Right Care

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to people’s individual needs. Staff had training on how recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Some staff required more specialised training on learning disabilities and autism, but the service had booked this in for them.

People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, Makaton (a form of sign language), pictures and symbols could interact with staff and others involved in their care and support because staff had the necessary skills to understand them.

People received care that focused on their quality of life and followed best practice, with input from a range of healthcare professionals. Staff, relatives and people cooperated to assess risks people might face. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks. One person was supported and encouraged to make their own cups of tea independently.

Right culture

People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff. People received good quality care, support and treatment because trained staff could meet their needs and wishes. People received compassionate and empowering care that was tailored to their needs.

The service had worked to improve staff morale to decrease staff turnover, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well. Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did.

People and those important to them, were involved in planning their care. The service evaluated the quality of support provided to people, involving the person, their families and other professionals as appropriate. The service valued and acted upon people’s views. People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 21 January 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right Support Right Care Right Culture.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.