Highfield

Updated 26 May 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 30 April 2018 and was unannounced. Further feedback was gained from telephone conversations with people on 1 May 2018. One inspector undertook the inspection.

Prior to our inspection visit, we reviewed the information we held about the service. We reviewed statutory notifications sent to us from the provider. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We looked at the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information that we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used information the provider sent us in the PIR in our inspection planning.

Some people living at the home had limited verbal communication due to their complex health conditions. We spent a significant period of time observing communal areas and joined people at lunchtime so we saw how people were supported. This helped us judge whether people’s needs were appropriately met and to identify if people experienced good standards of care.

During the inspection we spoke with four of the five people that lived at Highfield and had telephone conversations with four people who received a domiciliary care service in their own home. We spoke with five people’s relatives and six care staff. We also spoke with the service administrator, the registered manager and the chief executive of the Polesworth Group Limited.

We reviewed three people’s care plans, daily records and medicine administration records. We also looked at the management records of the checks the registered manager and provider made to assure themselves people received a safe, effective quality service.

Updated 26 May 2018

We inspected this service on 30 April 2018. The inspection was unannounced. We informed the registered manager that we would continue our inspection on 1 May 2018, when we gained feedback from people by telephone conversations.

Highfield is one of eight services provided by Polesworth Group Homes Limited. Highfield is a purpose built bungalow which provides accommodation with personal care for up to five people with a learning disability. At the time of our visit, there were five people living in the home. The service also provides domiciliary care to 20 people with a learning disability in their own homes, some of whom require 24-hour support from staff.

At our last inspection in December 2015 we rated the service as good overall. However, we rated the effectiveness of the service as requires improvement because where people lacked capacity to make day to day decisions, mental capacity assessments had not always been completed. Neither had Deprivation of Liberty applications been made as required. At this inspection, we checked whether improvements had been made and found they had.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and worked in line with this to promote people’s best interests. Staff offered choices to people and gained consent before, for example, supporting them with personal care.

People were safe from the risks of harm, because staff understood their responsibilities to protect people. Staff had been trained in what constituted abuse and would raise concerns under the provider’s safeguarding policies. The provider checked staff’s suitability to deliver care and support during the recruitment process.

There were enough staff on shift to support people safely and meet their individual needs. Staff received training and used their skills, knowledge and experience to provide effective and responsive care.

People’s needs were assessed before they moved to live at the purpose built bungalow or receive a domiciliary care service in their own home. Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were assessed and plans were in place to reduce these. Accidents and incidents were recorded by staff and investigated and actions taken to minimise the risks of reoccurrence.

People were supported to eat and drink enough and staff promoted healthy choices around food.

People were very relaxed in the presence of care staff and the registered manager. Staff were friendly toward people, showing respect toward them and that people were valued in the home. Staff knew people well and how to meet their needs.

People were able to take part in individual leisure activities according to their preferences. There were also opportunities for people with shared interests to do activities in a group.

Staff were happy in their job role and felt well supported by the team and the registered manager. Staff felt listened to and able to contribute to the way the service was delivered.

People and their relatives had no complaints about the service. They felt the registered manager would deal with any concern if they needed to raise something.

The registered manager and provider carried out a range of quality audits to ensure people received safe, effective and responsive care that met their individual needs.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.