The Old Vicarage

Updated 5 January 2023

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

The Old Vicarage is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. The Old Vicarage is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 23 November 2022 and ended on 04 December 2022. We visited the location’s service on 23 November 2022 and 04 December 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

We contacted social care commissioners who help arrange and monitor the care of people living at The Old Vicarage. We also contacted Healthwatch Kirklees. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke to 5 people who lived at the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 6 members of staff which included, the registered manager, the deputy manager and 4 care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 2 people's care records and medication records. We looked at 2 staff files in relation to recruitment, staff supervision and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including governance records, policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We received feedback about the service from 3 relatives and 3 healthcare professionals. We sought clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 5 January 2023

About the service

The Old Vicarage is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 7 people with a learning disability and people with autism. At the time of the inspection, there were 7 people living in the home.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and/or autistic people.

Right Support:

People at the Old Vicarage were placed at the heart of the service. There was a strong person-centred culture that encouraged people to make decisions about their life. Safe recruitment practices were followed, and people were supported by staff who knew them well. People's religious, cultural and personal diversity were recognised by the service, with their care plans outlining their backgrounds and beliefs.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of 'Right support, right care, right culture' in the promotion of choice, control, independence and inclusion. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. Activities were individualised to suit people's personal preferences and staff actively encouraged and supported people to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Right Care:

People consistently told us they felt safe and well cared for and relatives corroborated this. Staff were kind, caring and compassionate. People and their relatives were included in decisions about their care and support. People's individual preferences were acknowledged, and people were encouraged and supported to personalise their rooms. The environment care was clean and well-maintained.

Right Culture:

People's quality of life was enhanced by the service's culture of improvement and inclusivity. The registered manager and staff had established a strong and visible person-centred culture in the service through their ‘Positive Culture Pledge’ and all staff we spoke with were fully supportive of this.

People and staff were consistently complimentary of the registered manager and the way the service was run. Staff told us the management team were very knowledgeable, inspired a caring approach and led by example. Feedback from people, staff, professionals and relatives was sought in order to continuously drive improvements and develop the ongoing delivery of care and support people received.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 15 October 2018).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.