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Hughenden Gardens

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Hughenden Boulevard, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 5GA 07894 229280

Provided and run by:
The ExtraCare Charitable Trust

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 20 August 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, 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. Two Experts by Experience contacted people who used the service and relatives by telephone. 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:

This service provides care and support to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is bought or rented and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support service.

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:

We gave the service 48 hours notice of the inspection. Inspection activity started on 18 July 2019 and ended on 23 July 2019. We visited the office location on 19 and 23 July 2019.

What we did:

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 reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered with us. We sought feedback from community professionals who work with the service. We took into account a recent local authority contract monitoring report for the service. We contacted staff by email and invited them to provide feedback to us. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection:

We spoke with the registered manager and other staff which included a care supervisor, care co-ordinator, care manager and well-being advisor. We spoke with 16 people who use the service and 6 relatives on the telephone.

We looked at a range of records. These included five people’s care plans, four staff recruitment files, four staff development and training files and a sample of staff and office meeting minutes. Medicines administration records were looked at for four people. We checked a sample of service monitoring reports and accident and incident forms. Other records included a sample of policies and procedures.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 20 August 2019

About the service:

People using the service lived in a large village community for those aged 55 and over. The village had 260 apartments and was close to the town centre in High Wycombe. The village had facilities which included a gym, hair salon, bar and bistro.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. Fifty three people were being supported with personal care at the time of our visit. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service:

People spoke positively of the care they received. Typical comments included “The carers are brilliant and fantastic and friendly,” “It is like a hotel. I am very happy here” and “I think the service is good and I tell others, it is such a good idea.”

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 received safe and effective care. They were supported by staff who had been robustly recruited. Staff received a structured induction and undertook a wide range of training to be able to meet people’s needs.

People were supported with their healthcare needs. Healthy eating and exercise were promoted, to help people keep fit and well. Staff were assessed before they were permitted to handle people’s medicines. In one case we found a person’s medicines could not be given to them as they had run out. We have made a recommendation to improve medicines practice, to ensure prescriptions are requested in good time.

People’s needs were recorded in care plans. Risk assessments had been written to identify and mitigate the likelihood of people experiencing injury or harm.

The village setting provided opportunities for people to socialise with other residents and take part in activities.

Managers and staff worked with external agencies, such as the local authority and healthcare professionals, to make sure people received the care they required. Quality of care was monitored by the registered manager and provider to make sure it met people’s needs in a safe and person-centred way.

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

Rating at last inspection:

This service was registered with us on 3 May 2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection.

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.