Hightown Road

Updated 1 September 2018

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.

Our inspection took place on 30 and 31 July 2018, was unannounced and carried out by one social care inspector.

Before inspecting Hightown Road, we reviewed all information we already held about the location. We looked at previous inspection reports, feedback from health and social care professionals and notifications. A notification tells us information about important events in the service that the registered manager is required to inform us about.

We reviewed the provider information return (PIR). This is information supplied to us by the service annually which provides key information about what they do well and any forthcoming improvements. The PIR was completed in February 2018 so we checked to ensure this information was still current.

During this inspection we spoke with the registered manager, a senior support worker, three staff members, one person who lived in the service and two relatives. Most people living in the home were unable to communicate with us. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experiences of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at records compiled by the service. We checked staff recruitment and supervision records, health and safety checks, cleaning schedules and accident and incident reports.

We looked at audits and quality assurance survey results and people’s care files and daily notes.

We checked the building and grounds to ensure it was suitable for the client group and that it was safe and clean.

Updated 1 September 2018

Our inspection took place on 30 and 31 July 2018 and was unannounced.

The last inspection of Hightown Road took place on 11 March 2016 and the service was rated as good. We rated the ‘safe’ domain as requires improvement due to a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 because staff had not received the training they required to support people safely and infection and environmental risks had not been fully assessed or mitigated to reduce the risk of harm to people. We found at this inspection that the provider had acted to mitigate risks of harm noted at our last inspection and that staff had completed appropriate training courses. The service was no longer in breach of this regulation.

Hightown Road is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Hightown Road provides accommodation, care and support for up to four people with learning disabilities. The home is a purpose built residential property with two ground floor, and two first floor bedrooms.

There were four people living at Hightown Road when we inspected.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

Processes and checks were in place to ensure the safety of the premises and equipment was maintained. Some checks were completed on behalf of the housing association landlord by external contractors. The provider did not have copies of these records. We recommended that the fire alarm and water safety monitoring check records, to include a copy of the legionella risk assessment, should be kept on site.

Recent good weather had caused temperature levels in the medicine store to exceed safe levels. Staff had managed to reduce the temperature by opening windows however the room housing the medicine cabinet was in a warmer part of the house. We recommended that these actions and readings are recorded and that a permanent solution is sought to maintain safe medicine storage temperatures.

Prescribed fluid thickeners were stored in the kitchen on the top shelf of a cupboard that people living in the home could not access. We asked that the registered manager risk assess where the thickening granules were stored.

People’s needs were assessed before they moved into the home then regularly reviewed and care plans updated to reflect changing needs.

People were protected from being cared for by inappropriate staff by a robust recruitment procedure. Staff were trained to ensure they had appropriate skills to support people and sufficient staff were deployed to care for people.

People were supported with their nutritional needs. Advice was sought from healthcare professionals such as the GP, speech and language therapist and dieticians to ensure people were provided with appropriate meals prepared as per individual needs.

Activities were provided in the home alongside some people attending day services. People were encouraged to participate however could take time to relax as they wanted.

Positive feedback was received from relatives and staff about the registered manager and senior support worker.