High Cross House

Updated 23 November 2023

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 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 conducted by a CQC Operations Manager who visited the service. A Regulatory Coordinator worked remotely to make calls to relatives of people who used the service.

Service and service type

High Cross House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. High Cross House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced and included inspecting the service out of standard working hours to check how the service operated during this time.

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 professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 2 staff members, the registered manager and the regional operations director.

We reviewed a range of records, these included 4 people’s care records, medicines administration records, as well as governance and quality assurance records. We also looked at 2 staff recruitment files.

Updated 23 November 2023

About the service

High Cross House is a care home for people who may have a learning disability or autism. The service was registered for up to 9 people; 9 people lived there at the time of our inspection.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

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

Right Support:

People and their relatives told us they felt safe and supported. Risks were assessed and managed to ensure people could safely participate in activities that they enjoyed.

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. People were able to receive visitors without restrictions in line with best practice guidance.

Right Care:

People were safeguarded from abuse and avoidable harm. There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff and the provider operated safe recruitment processes. Staff supported people in line with their individual preferences and agreed care plans.

People were supported to receive their medicines safely and were protected from the risk of infection as staff followed safe infection prevention and control practices.

Right Culture:

There was a positive and open culture at the service and systems were in place to provide person-centred care. People and staff were involved in the running of the service and the provider worked in partnership with others to achieve good outcomes for people.

The quality of care was monitored and lessons were learned when things had gone wrong.

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 29 January 2020).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. We completed a focused inspection to review safe, caring and well-led only.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for High Cross House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation in relation to the provider's responsiveness to environmental/premises concerns.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.