Kingston House

Updated 24 August 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

This inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Kingston 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. Kingston 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced on the first day of inspection. Our second visit was later in the day so we could meet with people who had been out doing activities.

What we did before 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 used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We communicated with 8 people who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 6 members of staff including the registered manager, regional manager, and care staff.

We viewed a range of records. This included 3 people's care records and multiple medication records. We reviewed 2 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.

Updated 24 August 2023

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.

About the service

Kingston House is a care home providing personal care to people with a learning disability and autism. At the time of our inspection there were 8 people receiving care. The service is set in the community in an adapted building over 3 floors with a large garden.

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

Feedback from families and relatives was positive. A relative told us, “I never have to worry about [person name] being there.” Another relative said, “I am very happy with the service, communication is good and they love being there.”

Right Support:

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way which was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. There were systems in place to minimise the risk of infection and to learn lessons from accidents and incidents. Medication was dispensed by staff who had received training to do so and assessed as competent.

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.

Right Care:

Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. The registered manager enabled staff to develop their skills and learning to provide good quality care. People were supported with diet and nutrition to maintain their well-being. Staff worked well with health care professionals to support people’s well being.

Right Culture:

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

Care was focused on supporting people to remain independent. Staff supported people to engage in their local community. Care was personalised to people’s needs and staff reviewed and adapted support as people’s needs or wishes changed. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the service and outcomes for people.

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

Rating at last inspection

The rating at the last inspection was good (published 15 December 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

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