Hargrave House

Updated 23 May 2019

The Inspection:

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.

Inspection Team:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector, one assistant inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type:

Hargrave House is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. 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 took place on the 16 April 2019 and was unannounced.

What we did:

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed previous reports and notifications that are held on the CQC database. Notifications are important events that the service must let the CQC know about by law. We also reviewed information received from a local authority. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During our inspection, we spoke with 11 people and observed interactions with staff. We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, a senior care worker and five care workers. We spoke with five people’s visitors.

We reviewed six people’s care plans and three people’s medication records. We looked at records relating to training and systems for monitoring quality. We also looked at meeting minutes, staff rotas and complaints and compliments.

Updated 23 May 2019

About the service: Hargrave House provides accommodation, care and support for up to 58 older people. The service is split into two wings, Hargrave House which provides residential care, and Alice Grace which provided dementia care. The service is situated in Stansted. There were 56 people living at the service on the day of inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

People and their relatives were complimentary about the care provided at Hargrave House. People received effective care from staff who understood how to recognise and report issues of concern. Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Risk assessments were in place to keep people safe which also promoted people’s choice and independence. People’s medicines were managed safely. Incidents and accidents were investigated, and actions taken to prevent any recurrence. The environment was clean, comfortable and safe.

People's needs were assessed prior to them moving into the service to help ensure they were cared for and supported effectively. Staff received relevant training, support and supervision to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities. People were provided with a nutritious and varied diet. Staff worked well with external professionals to promote people’s health and wellbeing. End of life planning required further development. We made a recommendation that the service consults a reputable source to further develop end of life planning.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The culture of the service was caring and person-centred. Staff were kind and passionate and supported people with dignity and respect. Positive relationships had been formed between staff and people using the service.

People were supported by competent staff who knew them well and supported them according to their needs and preferences. People were involved in how the service was run and encouraged to be as independent as possible. They had the choice to participate in activities which promoted a good quality of life.

The registered manager was visible and approachable. Staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Audits were completed and there were effective quality assurance systems in place to drive continuous improvement.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 27 September 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor all intelligence received about the service to ensure the next planned inspection is scheduled accordingly.

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