Background to this inspection
Updated
3 September 2021
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 was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with 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 carried out by two inspectors.
Service and service type
Heathcotes Flanshaw 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
An unannounced inspection visit took place on 22 July 2021.
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 other professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
The inspection visit took place on 22 July 2021.
During the inspection site visit we spent time talking with people who used the service. We also observed people’s interaction with support staff. This helped us understand the experience of the people who could not talk with us. We looked around the building and spoke with the registered manager, two team leaders and four support staff. The head of service and the regional manager also attended to support the inspection. We saw the written records, risk assessments and care plans for three people and medicines records for three people. We looked at personnel and recruitment records for three staff. .
After the visit we requested and reviewed further records in relation to the management of the service, which were provided to us remotely. This included quality and safety systems processes, meeting minutes, and staff training and supervision records. We also spoke with two relatives, two independent advocates and two social workers by telephone to gain their views of the service. We undertook a video meeting with the registered manager on 26 August 2021 to discuss and complete the inspection and feedback our inspection findings.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
3 September 2021
About the service
Heathcotes Flanshaw is a care home providing accommodation for up to six people. The service specialises in supporting younger adults with a learning disability and autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of the inspection five people were living in the home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found.
We saw people were safeguarded from abuse and any risks associated with people’s care were managed well, and without being overly restrictive. Those we spoke with told us they felt people were safe and we saw people were happy and relaxed with the staff. People’s needs were met by staff who were recruited, trained and deployed effectively. People were protected from the risk and spread of infection and people’s medicines were managed safely.
It was clear there was strong and thoughtful leadership, with an emphasis on treating people as adults and empowering them. There was also an emphasis on listening, reflecting and learning lessons to improve the service overall, and people's quality of life.
There were effective systems of governance, monitoring and review of the quality and safety of the service. People’s feedback was sought and acted upon in positive ways, and there was an emphasis on ensuring the service was person centred. People were supported to have access to other health and social care services.
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.
This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right support:
The setting is community based, and people were able to access their local community, nearby shops and services.
Care and support was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. People were supported in the least restrictive way and education and learning was promoted.
The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using the service were leading confident, inclusive and empowered lives. One person’s relative said, “[Person] is empowered and given opportunities to do as many different things as possible.”
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 August 2019).
Why we inspected
We received information of concern in relation to the service. These included concerns about the management of risk, people’s safety, staff culture and governance. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
The overall rating for the service has not changed. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Heathcotes Flanshaw on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.