Kingston House

Updated 26 February 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Kingston House is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. A registered manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is 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 the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

Some people using the service were unable to speak with us, so we used 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 spoke with one person at the service, two relatives over the telephone about their experience of the care provided to their loved ones, and we also contacted three care professionals who had regular input with the service. We spoke with the registered manager, two senior care staff and two further care staff.

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

Updated 26 February 2020

About the service

Kingston House is a converted residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to eight people with a learning disability and those living with dementia. The service is in the village of Kingston, near Canterbury, Kent. The service can support up to nine people.

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

The service was exceptionally caring. The registered manager and their staff team were passionate and committed in placing people at the heart of the service. In-depth involvement with people and a well-planned approach to engagement and education had helped develop people’s independence, knowledge, confidence and understanding. People's needs and wishes were met by highly compassionate staff who knew them well and were dedicated to promoting a caring, homely and nurturing environment. Staff continually maintained people’s dignity and privacy and treated them with utmost respect. We saw there was a very positive atmosphere and engaging interactions during our visit. People were fully respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care. Typical comments around the care were, “The care delivered is extremely good, they really understand the needs of the people living there” and “The care the staff provide is excellent, [person’s] life has improved significantly”.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to eight people. Eight people were using the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People received personalised care and support specific to their needs and preferences. This had been effective in supporting people to achieve goals and encouraged them to learn and grow as individuals.

People told us they were happy with the care and support they received at Kingston House. Comments from people, their relatives and professionals were positive. A health professional told us, “The home is pleasant, personalised and due to mixed personalities activities are tailored to individual needs and requests. I am able to turn up at the service without prior notice, I always find this a sign of a good service”.

People felt safe and staff were aware of how to promote people’s safety. Regular checks were in place to ensure staff worked in accordance with training and health and safety guidance adhered to. The environment had plenty of communal space for people to enjoy. People enjoyed the activities that were provided, staff told us there were many opportunities for people to go out and live fuller lives.

People were fully involved in the service and had opportunities to give feedback. Feedback about the registered manager was very positive and staff felt very well supported. Staff were well motivated and very proud of the service, and morale was very high.

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

The last rating for this service was Good (published 28 June 2017). At this inspection the service has remained rated as Good.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.