Archived: Horton House

Updated 19 October 2019

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service

This service provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

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.

We looked at notifications received from the service. A notification is the means by which providers tell us important information that affects the running of the service and the care people receive. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we visited one housing development where seven people lived. We also spoke with five care staff and the registered manager. We looked at two people’s care records. We contacted people’s relatives and health professionals who supported people for their views of the service between inspection dates. We received four replies from relatives and one from a health professional.

After the inspection

We looked at staff training records, quality assurance records and satisfaction surveys.

Updated 19 October 2019

About this service

Horton House provides personal care in people's own homes. At the time of the inspection the service provided personal care and support to nine people living in their own homes.

The service provided support to younger adults with learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder, sensory impairment and physical disability. Personal care was provided to people as they required it. The service also provided other forms of social care support that are not included within CQC's registration requirements for a supported living service. For example, the service assisted people with their housekeeping, shopping, attending appointments and other independent living skills.

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

People told us they felt safe with staff who supported them. The provider had policies and procedures in place designed to protect people from the risk of suffering harm and abuse. Risk assessments were in place which identified possible risks to people living in their own homes.

People's needs were assessed before the service started to support them, to ensure their needs could be met. People's needs were met by suitable numbers of staff.

People were supported by staff who were well trained to meet their individual needs. The service worked closely with people’s families and other professionals to improve the care and support they provided.

Staff asked people for their consent before supporting them. People felt they were supported well by the staff team, who respected their choices and decisions. People were supported by staff who respected and promoted their privacy, dignity and independence.

People, and those close to them, were involved in planning and reviewing their care which meant care plans were specific to each individual. People's communication needs were identified within their care plans. People’s views were central to how the service was run.

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.

The service was well managed; management were open and honest. There were effective systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service. There was a strong commitment to continuous improvement.

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 (Report published 8 November 2016).

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.