Archived: Hennel Lane

Hennel Lane is a care home for people with learning disabilities and complex support needs. It is provided by Scope which is a national charity providing a range of services for children and adults with disabilities. The service at Hennel Lane is provided in a large detached house in a residential area of Preston. It offers a transition service from children to adult’s services for up to five young people.

The home has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The manager was available throughout the inspection and engaged positively with the inspection process. The manager was friendly and approachable; she operated an open door policy for people using the service, staff and visitors.

We found that care was provided by a long term staff group in an environment which was friendly and homely.

People's consent was gained before any care was provided and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act were met.

The relationships we saw were caring, respectful and dignified and the atmosphere was one of calm and comfort. Everyone in the service looked relaxed and comfortable with each other and with all of the staff.

Staff members had developed good relationships with people living at the home and care plans clearly identified people’s needs, which ensured people received the care they wanted in the way they preferred.

Staff knew about the need to safeguard people and were provided with the right information they needed to do this. They knew what to do if they had a concern. There were sufficient staff to meet the needs of the people who lived in the home.

The home was well-decorated and maintained and adapted where required. People had their own bedrooms which they could personalise as they wished.

We spent time with the people who used the service all who appeared relaxed and comfortable within their home environment. People were not always able to communicate verbally with us because of their complex needs. However they expressed themselves in other ways such as by gesture or expression. We talked with five staff members as well as the registered manager.

We undertook a limited amount of direct observation at Hennel Lane. This was to try and minimise any possible anxiety for people, and to ensure that support and daily activities went ahead as planned.

Staff were observed to be mindful and promoted a calm environment. They spoke quietly to people and were observed supporting people with tasks in a calm and respectful way. Staff kept an appropriate distance from people who may have felt anxious if someone was too close to them. People were asked questions in a way that made sure they were helped to understand and were able to respond in a way that reflected their rights and choices.

We spoke with one person who lived at Hennel Lane and he told us that is was good and that he liked the staff the TV and the food.

We spoke to the relatives of some people who lived at Hennel Lane. They told us that they were happy with the care that their relatives received. They told us that staff were kind, caring and compassionate and that they provided the people who lived at Hennel Lane with emotional warmth.

We looked at records including four care files as well as three staff files and audit reports.

We looked around the building and facilities and by invitation, looked in some people’s bedrooms.

We undertook a limited amount of direct observation at Hennel Lane. This was to try and minimise any possible anxiety for people, and to ensure that support and daily activities went ahead as planned.

Staff were observed to be mindful and promoted a calm environment. They spoke quietly to people and were observed supporting people with tasks in a calm and respectful way. Staff kept an appropriate distance from people who may have felt anxious if someone was too close to them. People were asked questions in a way that made sure they were helped to understand and were able to respond in a way that reflected their rights and choices.

We spoke to one person at Hennel Lane and he told us that is was good and that he liked the food.

We spoke to the relatives of some people at Hennel Lane. They told us that they were happy with the care that their relatives received.

One relative said; "Some of the staff have known (our loved one) for a very long time, so they know what (they are) likely to need. Probably more so than us!"

Another relative said; "They have always listened. l am astounded how much effort they put in for (my relative). Without all that effort I don't know where we would be."

A new pharmacy service was in place.

Policies, procedures and new guidance about the use of ‘as required’ medicines and homely remedies had been re-issued to all staff members.

Checks had been made with each person’s GP about the safe use of homely remedies.

Individual information had been updated about the use of ‘as required’ medicines for each person living at the home.

The procedure for checking medicine stocks had been reviewed.

We saw staff interacting with people in positive and respectful ways. People were given choices about what they wanted to do. People were able to have individual routines and be involved in activities of their choice with input from one to one staffing. A relative said “We have confidence in the staff, we definitely think they treat x with dignity and respect.”

We found personalised assessments and support plans were in place. Relatives told us they were able to be involved in support planning and reviews. We found that people were cared for by staff who were supported to provide care and support safely and to an appropriate standard. A relative told us “Staff know what they are doing, they know x and her needs really well.”

We found that people were not fully protected against the risks associated with medicines and we have asked the provider to take action about this.

We found that the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.