Highfield House Nursing Home

Updated 19 February 2022

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 COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 8 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 19 February 2022

Highfield House Nursing Home is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The inspection took place on 13 and 21 November 2018 and was unannounced.

Highfield House is a care home which provides accommodation for up to 46 people who have nursing and personal care needs, including people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, there were 37 people living in the home.

There was a registered manager at the home. 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.

Individual risks to people were not always considered fully or recorded within people’s care documentation.

Arrangements were in place for the safe management of medicines. People received their medicines as prescribed. The home was clean and hygienic and staff followed best practice guidance to control the risk and spread of infection.

People felt safe living at Highfield House. Staff knew how to keep people safe and how to identify, prevent and report abuse. They engaged appropriately with the local safeguarding authority.

Thorough staff recruitment checks were carried out when a new staff member started working for the service. There were enough staff available to keep people safe at all times and staffing levels were monitored by the registered manager.

People’s needs were met by staff who were competent, trained and supported in their role. Staff received regular support from the provider and registered manager in order to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

People were supported to access healthcare services when needed. Staff made information available to other healthcare providers to help ensure continuity of care and supported communication between people and health professionals.

People were supported by staff with their nutritional and hydration needs. People were offered choice at mealtimes and menus contained a variety of nutrition and healthy foods. Where people had specific dietary requirements, this was well documented and staff were aware of how to meet these needs.

Staff were knowledgeable of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and people’s rights were protected in line with the Act at all times. Where people were required to be deprived of their liberty, this was completed and recorded in an appropriate and timely manner.

People were cared for with kindness and compassion. Staff had developed positive relationships with people and their relatives and knew what mattered most to them.

Staff took action to protect people’s dignity and privacy at all times and encouraged people to be independent with all aspects of their daily routines where possible.

People had a clear, detailed and person-centred care plan in place, which guided staff on the most appropriate way to support them.

People had access to a range of activities based on their individual interests, including regular access to the community.

The service had a clear process in place to deal with complaints and we saw that concerns were dealt with in a timely and effective manner.

Staff took account of people’s end of life wishes and preferences. They supported people to remain comfortable and pain free.

People, their relatives, visitors and staff members commented positively on the leadership of the service and felt that the service was well-led. The provider was engaged with the running of the service and was approachable to people and staff.

There was an appropriate quality assurance system in place and where issues were identified, action had been taken promptly.

Staff were organised, motivated and worked well as a team. They enjoyed working at the home and told us they felt valued.