We carried out a review of the data available to us about New House Farm on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about New House Farm, you can give feedback on this service.
About the service
New House Farm provides personal care and accommodation for up to 7 young people with a learning disability and/or autism. In one large, adapted property. All bedrooms are ensuite. There are a variety of communal areas inside the home and large secure gardens. At the time of our inspection there were 7 young people living in the home.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support
People were supported to have meaningful lives because staff ensured they had access to a broad range of experiences and activities both within the home and in the community. People's abilities and talents were encouraged by staff who were committed to understanding how best to promote independence.
Right Care
People were supported by talented and caring staff who promoted their dignity and respect. Care records reflected detailed understanding of the person, based on observations and learning how to optimise their communication.
Staff understood how to protect people from the risk of avoidable harm and abuse. This included analysing any occasions when a young person had needed to be restrained to keep themselves safe. This helped avoid reoccurence.
Right Culture
High-quality person centred care records helped ensure people's needs and preferences were fully considered and met. Staff were creative and imaginative in their work. The registered manager and management team had clear standards which were understood by staff. Staff felt valued and respected. Staff felt able to share their views and participate in the development of the service.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 8 January 2018).
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of Safe and Well-led only.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for New House Farm on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
New House Farm is in a converted farm in rural land outside Preston. Accommodation is provided over two floors with sufficient toilets and bathing facilities for all the young people to have their own bathroom. There are two large lounges, a dining area and kitchen. There is a joined self-contained flat which can be accessed externally or from the main house. The home has extensive fields and vegetable gardens and keeps rabbits, goats, a sheep and a cat.
We found the following examples of good practice.
Staff acted creatively to finding ways of supporting young people, who may have complex needs, to isolate when they had tested positive for COVID-19. The service ensured the same staff team cared for young people who were isolating to minimise the potential spread of infection. They provided additional resources in the young person’s room to keep them from being bored.
All areas of the home were clean and uncluttered. Staff took pride in maintaining the cleanliness of the home and followed good practice to prevent the spread of infections. Easy read posters on hand washing were placed in bathrooms to encourage the young people to follow good hand hygiene. All taps in sinks and showers were ‘no touch’ sensor operated.
The service had worked hard to encourage the young people to have the COVID-19 vaccination, when available to them. Staff worked jointly with the GP to inform both young people and their parents about the benefits of vaccination. They provided intensive support to young people who were scared of needles and ensured parental consent was given in all cases.
New House Farm currently provides care and support for a maximum of six younger adults up to the age of 25 who live with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were six people living at the home. New House Farm is situated in a converted farm in rural land outside Preston. Public transport and a general store are close by. Accommodation is provided over two floors with sufficient toilets and bathing facilities. There is a large lounge and dining area, with extensive fields and vegetable gardens to the rear of the building.
A registered manager was in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.
New House Farm was newly registered on 08 November 2016. Consequently, this was their first inspection.
During this inspection, relatives we spoke with said they felt their family members were safe, comfortable and relaxed. One relative stated, “It’s a good, safe environment for [our family member] to be in.” The registered manager recognised the importance of maintaining equipment and a safe environment to protect people against accidents. Staff files we reviewed evidenced staff had safeguarding training to protect people from potential harm or abuse.
We found there was a sufficient workforce, fully trained and able to deliver care in a compassionate and patient manner. Staff we spoke with confirmed they did not commence in post until the management team received relevant checks. We checked staff records and noted employees received training appropriate to their roles. One staff member told us, “I feel well trained and it’s good to have at all refreshed. I feel competent in my work as a result.”
Medication care plans and risk assessments provided staff with a good understanding about each young person’s specific requirements. Furthermore, staff had relevant training and competency testing to assist them in the safe administration of medicines.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Throughout our inspection, we observed staff did everything possible to ensure they did not limit people in any way. People or their legal representatives had recorded their consent to support and treatment in their care files.
Assessments and care records were developed with the person and relatives at the forefront of their support. A relative said, “I talk with the staff on a weekly basis. If I want to give input they are open to that and will discuss his care plan with me.” All documentation we reviewed was regularly updated to guide staff to be responsive to people’s needs. We saw documentation was developed in consultation with each person and their relatives and this was recorded in their care files.
The registered manager had an effective system to monitor people’s nutritional needs and took action to address identified concerns. A relative commented, “[My family member’s] diet is very poor, but the staff are trying to change and improve that with him.”
We found the registered manager had a range of audits to monitor quality assurance and maintain people’s safety. They completed regular surveys to gain feedback about everyone’s experiences of New House Farm. Staff we spoke with confirmed monthly team meetings were held, which focused on fostering a good working relationship with the management team.