Chatterton Hey

Accommodation at Chatterton Hey is provided in 14 single bedrooms, including five en-suite rooms and three ground floor rooms. There are 11 bedrooms in the main house and three bedrooms are in Heaton House, a self-contained house next door to Chatterton Hey which offers more independent move-on accommodation. At the time of the inspection, there were a 12 men living at Chatterton Hey.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Staff gave men who had to isolate due to COVID-19 restrictions, distraction packs as well as offering computer tablets to maintain communication. The service had adapted this to individual needs offering resources such as exercise DVDs, video games and newspapers to men. The men were given mini fridges in their rooms so they had access to drinks and snacks whilst isolating.

The service faciltated visits outside the home wherever possible. Each visit out was individually risk assessed and supported by staff using a pool car for transport. Staff used the risk assessment tool to decide if men were required to isolate following visits out.

All staff had completed COVID-19 risk assessments to understand the impact being in the workplace might have on them and all new staff had to complete the assessment when starting work. The provider gave all staff a clothing grant, as they did not wear uniform, so staff could buy separate work clothes which they changed into on arrival.

Chatterton Hey is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 15 men with health-care issues, dual diagnosis of substance misuse and mental health or a learning disability. The parent company of Chatterton Hey, Langley House Trust, is a Christian organisation dedicated to improving the life chances of ex-offenders and helping them lead crime free lives.

Accommodation at Chatterton Hey is provided in 14 single bedrooms, including five en-suite rooms and three ground floor rooms. 11 bedrooms are within the main house and an adjacent cottage. They offer shared laundry and other facilities as well as full board catering. The remaining three bedrooms are in Heaton House, a self-contained house next door to Chatterton Hey which offers more independent move-on accommodation. At the time of the inspection, there were a total of five people using the service with an additional person leaving to live independently in the community.

People’s experience of using this service:

People gave us consistently positive feedback about the care and support they received in Chatterton Hey. Comments people made included, “It’s the best place I’ve ever been”, “You can tell it’s a good place when you walk through the door. It’s a real family atmosphere” and “I can’t fault the service, everything about it is great.”

Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of abuse. Sufficient numbers of staff were on duty to provide people with the support they needed. Staff had generally been safely recruited. The provider made some improvements to their recruitment processes immediately following the inspection, as a result of feedback we gave to them. People received their medicines as prescribed. Accidents and incidents were fully investigated to reduce the risk of them happening again. Any lessons learned from events were shared with the staff team.

The provider had systems to ensure staff received the training, support and supervision necessary to deliver effective care. A psychologist employed by the provider offered emotional support to people who lived in the home and staff. They also used reflective practice supervision sessions to help staff review the support they provided to people. Staff encouraged people who lived in the home to lead healthy lives.

During the inspection, we saw staff were caring, friendly and respectful towards people who lived in Chatterton Hey. People told us staff supported them to achieve their rehabilitation goals.

People received care which was appropriate to their individual needs. Staff supported people to participate in activities relevant to their interests. The provider had systems to gather feedback from people who lived in the home. Any complaints received had been fully investigated and a response provided to the complainant.

The service was well-led. The provider and registered manager demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement in the service. Staff told us they received excellent support from the registered manager and felt their views were always listened to. The provider had systems to ensure people who used the service were involved in deciding how it was run.

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

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated good (published 30 November 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

Chatterton Hey was a service providing support to men at risk of offending. The service was registered with the Care Quality Commission for accommodation for persons who require treatment for substance misuse and accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care. At the time of inspection, the service was not providing the regulated activity, accommodation for persons who require treatment for substance misuse. The parent company, Langley House Trust, was a Christian organisation dedicated to improving the life chances of ex-offenders and helping them lead crime free lives.

There was a registered manager in place who oversaw the day to day running of the service. 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.

Chatterton Hey was a 15 bed house for males only with 24 hour support on site. The service was located in Edenfield, Lancashire and accepted referrals nationwide. The majority of referrals came from the criminal justice system including the probation service. Others came from forensic mental health inpatient services.

We found that there were enough staff, and that staff were regularly supervised and appraised. Additional training was available to staff. Staff knew when and how to make a safeguarding referral. Staff had a good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act, and there was a Mental Capacity Act policy for them to refer to if needed. Consent to treatment was recorded in people’s care records. Food was healthy and of good quality, and there was a range of activities available seven days a week.

People described staff as caring and respectful, and we observed positive interactions between people and staff. Care plans contained detailed information specific to each individual. People were consulted about changes to the service, and were involved in recruitment of new staff, The service has strong links with police and probation services. People felt confident about making complaints. Managers and senior managers had a visible presence in the service, and staff morale was good.

We saw that suitable arrangements were in place for the safe keeping and handling of medicines.

We found that the home was clean, warm and well maintained. One person said, “I’ve got a lovely room.”

We noted that recruitment procedures were thorough in order to protect people from the employment of unsuitable staff.

We saw that systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. There was evidence to demonstrate that people were involved in making decisions and reviewing the support they received at the home.