Hilton House

Updated 26 February 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 20 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 26 February 2022

About the service

Hilton House is a care home registered to provide care and support for up to 10 people of all ages who have learning disabilities and mental health needs. The home is set out over two floors with a large outdoor area.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

We have made a recommendation about exploring end of life care with people in more detail.

People felt safe living in the home and there were processes in place to protect people and their belongings. Staff knew how to protect people from abuse and where to escalate concerns if they needed to. There were systems in place to assess risks to people’s health and wellbeing which staff were aware of for each person. People’s medicines were managed safely.

Staff received training and development to be able to support people safely. Staff said that they had also been encouraged to undertake qualifications to develop them further in their roles. Staff had received training specific to some of the conditions relevant to people who lived in the home and some staff had gone on to do more advanced courses. People received support to maintain a balanced diet and dieticians were asked for guidance when needed.

There was a calm atmosphere in the home and staff responded to people in a kind and caring manner. Staff knew people well and were able to communicate with people individually based on their abilities. People were involved in making decisions about their care and support and felt listened to. People had their privacy and dignity protected and their choices respected.

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 told us that they like the Registered Manager and found them approachable. People and staff said they felt listened to and felt involved in the service. Systems where in place to monitor the quality of the service and drive improvement. The registered manager worked with other healthcare organisations to keep up to date with best 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 11 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.