Alne Hall - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities

Updated 26 January 2023

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

The inspection team consisted of 1 inspector a specialist nurse advisor and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Alne Hall - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities 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. Alne Hall - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority, Healthwatch and professionals who work with the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. 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.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 4 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 3 members of care staff, 1 agency staff, the cook, activities coordinator, regional operations manager and the deputy manager. We had a look around the service and looked at a wide variety of records used to manage the service, safety, and the home environment. We reviewed 6 care plans, 3 staff files, 1 agency staff file, and records used to manage people’s medicines and daily health needs.

Updated 26 January 2023

About the service

Alne Hall Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to older people and young adults with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and autism. The service can support up to 30 people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection, 30 people were using the service.

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.

We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and/or, who are autistic.

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

Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

People received their medicines safely as prescribed by suitably trained staff. Some records required updating to ensure guidance reflected best practice. For example, for staff to follow when supporting people to take their medicines on food to aid swallowing.

Right support: 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.

People received initial assessments of their needs with care plans in place to manage known risks. People's care plans and risk assessments reflected their needs and preferences and staff were knowledgeable about the level of support people required. Care plans benefitted from an enhanced review process to ensure information remained up to date as an accessible point of reference for staff.

Right care: Care was person-centred and promoted people's dignity, privacy and human rights;

People told us staff were respectful, caring and understanding around their emotional and physical needs.

People were involved in planning their care and support. Care was delivered following a robust assessment of needs to ensure people’s wishes preferences and any personal characteristics were recorded and supported.

People were supported safely by enough suitably trained and recruited staff. Some staff supervisions and appraisals had been completed in line with policy and staff were benefitting from new processes to improve this area of support.

Right culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives; The culture of the service was open and empowered individuals to express their views and be in control of their lives with the support of staff. People told us they felt confident to approach the management team and that their suggestions would be listened to.

A range of quality assurance checks including regular audits were completed to manage and improve the service and to maintain compliance with required regulations.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 9 October 2020).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Recommendations

We recommend the provider reviews the latest medicines guidance to ensure records used as a point of reference by staff follow best practice.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.