Hillcrest Residential Home

Updated 12 February 2021

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 27 January 2021 and was announced.

Updated 12 February 2021

Hillcrest Residential Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The home is situated in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester and is registered to provide accommodation for up to 17 people who require personal care and support. At the time of this inspection 17 people were living at the home.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

During the last inspection, although the home was rated as good overall, it was rated as requires improvement in the KLOE safe, as we identified a breach of the regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was in relation to medicines management. During this inspection we found the provider had addressed the previous regulatory breach and was now meeting all requirements of the regulations.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe living at Hillcrest Residential Home. Relatives were also complimentary about the standard of care provided. Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew how to report concerns.

Care files contained detailed risk assessments, which were regularly reviewed to reflect people’s changing needs. This ensured staff had the necessary information to help lessen risks to people living at the home.

Staffing levels were determined based on people’s dependency levels. People, their relatives and staff all told us enough staff were on duty to safely meet people’s needs.

Medicines were managed safely. The home had effective systems in place to ensure medicines were ordered, stored, received and administered appropriately.

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

The service had a training matrix to monitor the training requirements of staff. Staff received appropriate training, supervision and appraisal to support them in their role.

People were encouraged to make decisions and choices about their care and had their choices respected. People's consent to care and treatment was also sought prior to care being delivered.

People’s nutrition and hydration needs were being met. Meal times were observed to be a positive experience, with people having a choice into both what and where they ate.

Throughout the inspection we observed positive and appropriate interactions between the staff and people who used the service. Staff were seen to be caring and treated people with kindness, dignity and respect.

Care plans contained detailed, personalised information about the people who lived at the home and how they wished to be cared for. Each file contained detailed care plans and risk assessments, which helped ensure their needs were being met and their safety maintained.

The home had a complaints procedure in place and whilst people told us they had no cause to complain, they knew how to do so, should they need to.

The home had a range of systems and procedures in place to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the service. Action plans were drawn up, to ensure any issues had been addressed. Feedback of the home was sought from people, relatives and staff and used to drive continued improvement.