Archived: Field House

Updated 30 November 2016

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 22 September 2016 and was carried out by one inspector. The inspection was unannounced.

We requested information about the home from the Healthwatch and the local authority. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion, which promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care. The local authority has responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. We also reviewed information we held about the home including statutory notifications which had been sent to us by the provider. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

During our inspection we spent time with people in the communal areas of the home and spoke with five people. We spoke with the provider's representative, who was also a registered manager, and the second registered manager and three care workers. We also spoke with one person’s relative on the telephone.

We looked at three people's care and medicines records. We looked at the records showing how staff checked people were enjoying the best health possible. These included records showing when people had seen health care professionals.

We looked at records of staff training, two staff member’s recruitment files, and sampled some of the policies and procedures which had been put in place to support people and staff. We also looked at information about how the registered managers and provider monitored the quality of the service, minutes of meetings with people living at the home, minutes of staff meetings and complaint records. We also sampled questionnaires which had been completed by people who lived at the home, their relatives and other professionals. We saw the actions which had been taken to further develop the care people received.

Updated 30 November 2016

The inspection took place on 22 September 2016 and was unannounced. Field House provides accommodation and personal care for up to six people, with complex care needs which may include mental health and physical disabilities. There were six people living at the home at the time of our inspection. People had the use of a number of communal areas including a lounge and conservatory dining area and a garden, and their own rooms.

We spoke with five people about the care and support they received. The examples we have given are therefore brief because we respect people’s right to confidentiality.

Two registered managers were in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

People’s views on how risks to their safety and well-being could be reduced were taken into account in the way staff supported them. People’s safety and care needs were understood by staff and staff took action so people’s safety and well-being needs would be promoted. There were enough staff to care for people and staff had opportunities to chat to people so they did not feel isolated and to prevent them from becoming anxious. Staff were confident action would be taken if they raised any concerns for people's safety or well-being. People were involved in decisions about how they supported to take their medicines so they would remain well.

People benefited from receiving care from staff who had the training they needed to develop their skills and meet people’s care needs. Staff cared for people in ways which recognised people’s rights to make their own decisions. Where people required some support from staff in order to choose from a range of options this was provided by staff. Staff supported people in ways which protected their freedoms and recognised their independence. People enjoyed the meals and drinks provided and had enough to eat to remain well. People received help from staff to see health professionals and staff advocated on people’s behalf so they would enjoy the best health possible.

People were supported by staff who knew them well. People had built caring relationships with staff and enjoyed spending time with them. People were encouraged to make their own decisions about how they spent their time, and were confident staff would support them to decide how they wanted to live their lives. People's rights to dignity and privacy was understood and acted upon by staff.

People’s views on what care they wanted, and how they wanted to receive this was used to develop plans which addressed people’s individual needs. Plans for people’s care took into account their preferences, health and life histories. Staff supported people in ways which recognised where they were independent and helped to ensure people had opportunities to do things they enjoyed doing and express themselves. People were confident action would be taken if they made any complaints about the care they received.

People were encouraged to let staff know what they thought of the care they received, and their views were used to inform further development of the services offered at the home. Staff were given clear guidance in understanding their roles and were supported by senior staff to provide the care people wanted. Checks were made on the quality of the care by registered manager and provider and staff took action to further improve people’s experience of living at the home.