Archived: Kay Hitch Way

Kay Hitch Way provides accommodation and personal care for up to four people who have a learning disability. There were four people living at the home when we inspected. Accommodation is provided over one floor. All bedrooms are for single occupancy and there are separate toilets and bathroom/shower facilities. There is a kitchen, communal areas, including a dining room and a lounge, for people and their guests to use. People and their relatives also had access to the rear garden area.

This unannounced inspection was carried out on 14 December 2015. At the time of our inspection a registered manager was in place but was not working at the home. 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. A new manager had been appointed and they were going to apply to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. The provider was not acting in accordance with the requirements of the MCA including the DoLS. The provider could not demonstrate how they supported people to make decisions about their care and where they were unable to do so, there were no records showing that decisions were being taken in their best interests. This also meant that people were potentially being deprived of their liberty without the protection of the law.

People’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff. People’s care was provided with compassion and in a way which people appreciated. People’s requests for assistance were responded to promptly.

Staff had been trained in medicines administration and safeguarding people from harm and were knowledgeable about how to ensure people’s safety. Medicines were stored correctly and records showed that people had received their medicines as prescribed.

Health care and support plans were in place which gave staff guidance on how to meet people’s individual care needs. Risks to people who lived in the home were identified and assessed to enable people to live as safely and independently as possible. However, not all risk assessments and care plans were kept up to date to ensure people were safe and protected from inappropriate care and support.

Staff assisted people with personal care, their medicines, activities/hobbies, cooking and domestic tasks in a kind, cheerful and sensitive way.

Members of staff were trained to provide care which met people’s individual needs and wishes with the exception of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. They were supported by the manager to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge through supervision, and ongoing training.

Information on how to make a complaint was available for people and staff knew how to respond to any identified concerns or suggestions.

Arrangements were not in place to ensure that the quality of the service provided for people was regularly monitored. People who lived in the home and their relatives were encouraged to share their views about the quality of the care and support provided.

We found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.