Background to this inspection
Updated
17 May 2019
The inspection:
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
One inspector carried out this inspection.
Service and service type
High Trees is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager 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:
This inspection site visit took place on 17 April 2019 was unannounced.
What we did:
Before our inspection visit, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed information we held about the service in the form of statutory notifications received from the service and any safeguarding or whistleblowing incidents, which may have occurred. A statutory notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law.
We asked the local authority and Healthwatch for any information they had which would aid our inspection. We used this information as part of our planning. Local authorities together with other agencies may have responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion, which promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care services.
We spoke with four people living at High Trees. We also spent time in the communal areas observing the care and support people received to understand the experiences of those who were not able to talk with us. In addition, we spoke with the registered manager, team leader, two assistant team leaders, cook and two carers. Following the inspection site visit we spoke with one relative on the phone.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care and medication records. We confirmed the safe recruitment of two staff members and reviewed records relating to the provider's quality monitoring, health and safety and staff training.
Updated
17 May 2019
About the service:
High Trees is a residential care home which consists of two separate houses leading off a shared driveway. High Trees is registered to accommodate, between both houses, up to 16 people living with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people living there.
The care service had not been developed or designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This was because High Trees provided accommodation for up to 16 people, some of whom were expected to use shared facilities including bathrooms and communal areas.
People’s experience of using this service:
People received safe care and support as the staff team had been trained to recognise signs of abuse or risk and understood what to do to safely support people.
People received safe support with their medicines by staff who had received training and who had been assessed as competent. The provider had systems in place to respond to any medicine errors. The provider completed regular checks to ensure that people were receiving the right medicine at the right time.
Staff members followed effective infection prevention and control procedures. When risks to people’s health and welfare were identified, the provider acted to minimise the likelihood of occurrence.
The provider supported staff in providing effective care for people through person-centred care planning, training, supervision. People were promptly referred to additional healthcare services when required.
People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and had choice regarding the food and drinks they consumed. The environment where people lived was well maintained and suited their individual needs and preferences. People were supported to have choice and control over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems supported this practice.
People received help and support from a kind and compassionate staff team with whom they had developed positive relationships. People were supported by staff members who were aware of their individual protected characteristics like age and gender and disability. People were supported to develop their independence and actively took part in decisions about where they lived.
People participated in a range of activities that met their individual choices and preferences and that they found interesting and stimulating. People were provided with information in a way they could understand. Policies and guidelines important to people were provided in an easy to read format with pictures. The provider had systems in place to encourage and respond to any complaints or compliments from people or those close to them.
The provider understood the requirements of their registration with the Care Quality Commission and was meeting the legal requirements. The provider had effective systems to monitor the quality of the service they provided and to drive improvements where needed. The provider had good links with the local community which people benefited from.
More information in Detailed Findings below.
Rating at last inspection:
At the last inspection High Trees was rated ‘Good’ (Published 24 November 2016).
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection, ‘Good.’
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor all intelligence received about the service to ensure the next planned inspection is scheduled accordingly.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk