Hurst House

Updated 26 February 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Hurst House 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

This inspection was unannounced.

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 commissioning teams. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

Although some people were unable to tell us about their experience of living at the home, we observed their interactions with staff. We spoke with the registered manager, four members of staff and five people living in the service. We reviewed five care and support plans, medication administration records, recruitment files, staffing levels and records relating to the quality and safety monitoring of the service. At the end of the inspection we provided feedback to the registered manager

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with four relatives of people living at the service and six professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 26 February 2020

About the service

Hurst House is a residential care home providing personal care to adults living with learning disabilities and autism. The service can support up to 10 people and was fully occupied at the time of the inspection.

The service has been developed and designed 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 the 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 receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We received extremely positive feedback about the exceptional care and how the support people received positively impacted on their lives. People, relatives and professionals all were extremely positive about the caring and responsive approach of the staff. There was evidence that people achieved good care outcomes and we were provided with numerous examples of this.

People received exceptionally personalised care and support which met their needs, reflected their preferences and promoted their wellbeing. People's care and support had been planned and developed in partnership with them. People were regularly consulted about their views of the service. People were supported by staff who knew them very well. Staff were exceptionally skilled in understanding how to support people to maximise their communication and opportunities. People's independence and right to privacy were consistently respected. People and their relatives expressed they were very happy with the care and support people received. Staff spoke with passion about the people they supported, and were committed to deliver good care.

We found people were confident to approach staff for support and appeared relaxed around them. Relatives told us people were safe and our observations confirmed this. Staff understood the importance of safeguarding and were able to tell us what they would do if they had concerns about a person's wellbeing. There were sufficient staff with the skills and knowledge to give people the support they needed, at the right times. People received their medicines as prescribed from appropriately trained staff. The service was very well-maintained.

People were treated with dignity and respect and their independence was promoted. People and their relatives said staff were very kind and caring. There was a happy family atmosphere at the home. People were encouraged to retain and gain independence, for example by involvement in daily living tasks where possible. People were closely involved in the development and updating of their individual care plan and met with staff on a regular basis to discuss and agree any changes.

Staff were caring and friendly and supported people with kindness and compassion. Staff had an empowering attitude to support people's personal development, and each person was supported in a way that was individual to them. Staff received training to ensure they had the skills they needed to support people with complex needs. Staff were highly motivated to access training and told us that they were well supported.

People had complex needs and demonstrated behaviour that may challenge services. People received care that was based on best practice guidelines that met their individual needs and successfully reduced instances of incidents within the service. Comprehensive assessments were made before people began using the service. Staff communicated effectively with relevant professionals to ensure people received the healthcare support they required. Staff supported people to buy, prepare and cook food. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff were highly motivated to access training and told us that they were well supported.

People, their relatives, and professionals felt the service was well run and commented on the positive approach of the management team. Staff told us they felt the registered manager was approachable and they felt valued. People, relatives and staff were given opportunities to share their views about the service. The provider carried out regular auditing to ensure the quality of care provided was good. There was a culture of continuous learning, which was driven by the management team.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 11 July 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.