The Care Quality Commission
  • Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Hobkirk House

Hobkirk Resource Centre, 109 Blagdon Road, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4BD (020) 8547 6373

Provided and run by:
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

All Inspections

24 September 2014

During an inspection in response to concerns

At our last inspection in May 2013 we found the service was meeting the regulations we looked at. We carried out this inspection to review how the service had dealt with the unusually high number of safeguarding concerns raised in 2014.

At the time of our inspection there were 30 people using the service.

During our inspection we spoke with six people who received services at Hobkirk House, the registered manager, the deputy manager, a qualified nurse, four care staff, two domestics and a member of the catering staff. We spent time observing care and support being delivered in communal areas. We also looked at a range of records, including five people's care plans and other records relating to the management of the service.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service which included; safeguarding alerts the provider had notified us about in the last 12 months.

This inspection was carried out by a single inspector. We considered all the evidence gathered under the outcomes inspected and used the information to answer the questions; Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service caring? Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt safe living at the home. One person told us, 'I feel perfectly safe here.'

There were robust safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures in place and staff understood what abuse was and knew how to report it.

Risks were assessed and managed well, with care plans and risk assessments providing clear information and guidance for staff.

Is the service effective?

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts of nutritious and well-presented meals that met their individual dietary needs. One person told us, 'We're given very good food. Can't fault it' and another person said, 'You're always given a choice at mealtimes and if you don't like the alternative you're offered you can always have a sandwich'.

People's health and support needs were assessed and appropriately reflected in care records. People were supported to maintain good health and to access health care services and professionals when they needed them.

Is the service caring?

People told us they were happy living at the home. They also told us staff were kind and caring. One person said, 'It's very nice here. The staff are wonderful', and another told us, 'The staff are so friendly and treat us well' and 'I feel perfectly safe here'. We saw staff treated people with dignity, respect and compassion.

Care and support was centred on people's individual needs and wishes. Staff were familiar with people's individual needs and knew how to meet them.

Is the service well led?

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. The manager demonstrated a good understanding of their role and they ran the home in an open and transparent manner.

Systems were in place to regularly monitor the safety and quality of the service people received. Safeguarding concerns were reported and analysed to identify trends and patterns to minimise the risk of similar events reoccurring.

22, 30 May 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with fourteen people using the service, two family members or carers and seven staff members during our unannounced visits to Hobkirk House.

Comments from people using the service included 'the people are very nice here', 'everybody is friendly here', 'excellent', 'very good' and 'the staff are wonderful'. All of the people we spoke to said that they were treated with dignity and respect with the majority of individuals saying that there were enough staff on duty to meet their needs. Comments made included 'loads of staff here' and 'there's always someone you can call on with your alarm button'.

People staying at Hobkirk House told us that they felt able to voice any concerns they had to familiar staff or the manager. Staff members spoken to said that they were able to raise any concerns they had with the managers and were confident that they would be listened to.

We were informed that the service was no longer accepting permanent admissions which would eventually result in the home being decommissioned over time. Short term placements for assessment, rehabilitation and respite care were still being accepted at the time of our visits.

28 September 2012

During a themed inspection looking at Dignity and Nutrition

People told us what it was like to live a this home and described how they were treated by staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They also told us about the quality and choice of food and drink available. This was because this inspection was part of a themed inspection programme to assess whether older people living in care homes are treated with dignity and respect and whether their nutritional needs are met.

The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by an Expert by Experience (people who have experience of using services and who can provide that perspective).

To help us to understand the experiences people have, we used our SOFI (Short

Observational Framework for Inspection) tool during this visit. The SOFI tool allows us to spend time watching what is going on in a service and helps us to record how people

spend their time, the type of support they get and whether they have positive experiences.

People were positive about the care and support they received, saying "they are very good here", "they ensure we are comfortable", "having my own room as you can see is comfortable and to me it feels like home", "I was pleased to be able to bring some of my belongings with me", "it's not home but I am settling in".

Comments about the food included "the food is good", " there is a choice of meals", "the food is tasty" and "staff and the chef always ask if we are satisfied".

Visitors said they were made welcome and could come at times convenient to them, saying that they were involved in care planning and that staff kept them informed of changes and important information.

22 June 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

People who use the service at Hobkirk House are happy with the care that they receive there.

There is a core staff team who have been there a number of years and vacancies are minimal, thereby reducing the need for agency staff. Both these factors play a crucial roll in people feeling that they have consistency and continuity of care.

The homes use of the 'Eden alternative' which is person centred, keeping people at the heart of everything that is done, has now embedded into the care given at Hobkirk. Staff were seen to continually give people choices, to listen and to sit and talk with people.

There was a lively, relaxed atmosphere with relatives, friends, and various workers coming and going. One of the administrative staff also has two small dogs which are brought into the home regularly and provide much entertainment for people who use the service.

The home benefits from a full time activities co-ordinator, and with help from people who use the service and other staff members, there are a range of social and recreational activities on offer, some within the home others out in the community.

There are things that the home could do better which are described in the body of this report. However in general terms, they are the procedures for administrating medication, supervision of staff and making sure that all staff know what to do if there is an adult at risk of harm.

During the inspection we were able to talk to eight people who use the service, including someone who was non verbal, a relative, staff and managers. We would like to thank everyone for their time and cooperation during this inspection.