Archived: Hitchin Road

Updated 23 February 2021

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 CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 19 January 2021 and was unannounced.

Updated 23 February 2021

About the service: Life Opportunities Trust – 9 Hitchin Road is a residential care home that was providing accommodation and personal care to seven people with learning and physical disabilities, at the time of the inspection.

The service was set up prior to the Registering the Right Support guidance. However, the service worked in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service: People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People, their relatives and advocates were involved in discussions about their family members care. People’s support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible to gain new skills and become more independent.

Records CQC held about the service confirmed that the provider had not sent in all notifications as required. A notification is information about important events that the law requires the provider to notify us about such as safeguarding concerns, deaths, and serious incidents.

People’s rooms were individual and personalised, however areas of the service required decoration. A recent external fire risk assessment carried out found that two doors, needed replacing. There was a plan in place to replace these fire doors, but no timescales had been agreed.

People and their relatives were happy with the care and support they, or their family member received from staff. Staff encouraged people to complete tasks independently, or with minimal support where possible. Staff assisted people in a caring and respectful way.

Staff knew about safeguarding people from harm or poor care. Staff knew how to report their concerns internally and externally if needed.

Staff undertook a pre-assessment on people new to the service. This established what care and support a person required and whether staff were trained to meet these needs. People and their relatives were involved in their care decisions and the planning of their day-to-day care.

Staff monitored people’s assessed risks. Guidance and training were in place for staff on how to support people with these risks.

Staff respected and promoted people's dignity and privacy. Staff supported people with their prescribed medicines safely. People were supported by staff with their food and drink to make sure they were eating and drinking healthily.

There were enough staff to meet people`s needs. People were kept safe from risks of infection and cross contamination. New staff received an induction when joining the service. Staff received supervision, competency checks, appraisals and training to make sure that they could effectively carry out their role. Staff learnt lessons from incidents and near misses that happened to help reduce the risk of the incident happening again.

Staff worked with other external organisations to help support and promote people’s well-being. Staff gave people information in different formats, when needed, to help people with their understanding.

People and their relatives were given the opportunity to feedback on the quality of the service provided. People and their relatives were given information on how to raise a complaint and their concerns were listened to, investigated and resolved where possible.

Audits were carried out to monitor the quality of the service. These and any monitoring visits by either representatives of the provider and the local authority were reviewed, and actions taken or were in progress to make any necessary improvements required.

Rating at last inspection: Good. (Report published 16 December 2016.)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection as part of CQC’s routine inspection programme.

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.

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