Hobbits Holt

Updated 2 August 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

Our inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

Hobbits Holt is a 'care home' that provides accommodation for up to seven people who require personal care. People in care homes receive accommodation and 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. Hobbits Holt provided personal care and support for people with learning disabilities.

The service had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they 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

The inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the site visit

We reviewed the information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included previous inspection reports and details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse, serious injuries and deaths. We used information the provider sent us in their Provider Information Return as part of our Provider Information Collection. Providers are required to send us key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the site visit

We visited Hobbits Holt on 25 June 2019. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager and two care workers. We spoke with three people who used the service. We observed staff interacting with people throughout the day, including preparing and supporting people with various activities. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records, three staff recruitment files and staff training and supervision records. We also reviewed records relating to the management and monitoring of the service.

Following the site visit

We sought feedback from one healthcare professional and one family member about Hobbits Holt.

Updated 2 August 2019

About the service

Hobbits Holt is a care home operated by Parkcare Homes (No.2.) Limited. The service provides support, personal care and accommodation for up to seven people. It provides care to adults living with a learning disability, autism and behaviours that may challenge.

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

Since our last inspection the provider had arranged training for staff that met the needs of people using the service. This included medicine training and safeguarding training. Staff competency had been routinely assessed by managers, which helped to ensure staff were safe to work with people. People were protected from abuse and harassment and received appropriate support to take their medicines safely as and when required.

The ethos and culture of the service centred on people. People were at the heart of the service and their involvement and feedback was valued by the provider. Staff were responsive to people's needs and went out of their way to ensure people lived a fulfilled life. Their patience and dedication assisted people to reach their potential. Staff consistently provided a service which had been tailored to meet the needs of individuals.

The provider had ensured there was effective oversight and governance of the service. The managers of the service worked alongside staff to ensure that any issues were managed and priorities in relation to the quality of support were identified and acted upon promptly.

People's independence was respected and promoted and the support provided to people focused on them having opportunities to develop and maintain relationships. People received a consistent level of care from a team of care staff. There were enough staff employed to meet people's needs.

Staff communicated with people effectively to ascertain and respect their wishes. People could decide how and when their care was provided. Safe recruitment practices were followed to protect people from unsuitable staff.

People received care and support that was person-centred and individualised. People's communication needs were identified, recorded and highlighted in care plans. People had access to documents in large fonts and there was extensive use of pictures and symbols throughout the records we reviewed.

People were supported to access other health services when needed. People's care plans provided staff with information about people's preferences and ways in which staff could support people emotionally and with the activities they enjoyed. Staff were very responsive to people and their ongoing health needs.

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.

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.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 29 December 2016). We rated the key question “Is the service effective?” as Requires Improvement as we had identified that not all staff had received regular formal supervisions meetings to discuss their personal development and any concerns. At this inspection we found the provider had completed their planned improvements.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating. At this inspection we found that the service was “Good” in all areas.

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.

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