Archived: Hill Ash House Care Centre

Updated 10 February 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.

This inspection took place on 13 and 14 December 2017 and was unannounced.

One inspector carried out the inspection. We spoke with two people using the service, the home manager the head of care, the activities coordinator, the maintenance worker and four members of care staff. In addition we reviewed records for six people using the service, looked over the premises of the care home and examined records relating to staff training, recruitment and the management of the service. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) for people living with dementia. SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we have about the service including notifications. A notification is a report about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

Updated 10 February 2018

Hill Ash House Care Centre 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. Hill Ash House Care Centre accommodates 36 people in one adapted building in the village of Dymock. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people living at the home. Hill Ash House Care Centre does not provide nursing care

At the time of our inspection Hill Ash House Care Centre did not have a registered manager. A manager has been in post since August 2017 and they told us it was their intention to apply to be registered manager. They told us they had completed their DBS application with the CQC. However, at the time of the inspection they had not submitted their registered manager application. Action needed to be taken to ensure a registered manager was in post to support the provider to meet the requirements of their registration. At our previous inspection in November 2016 the service was rated Requires Improvement. At this inspection we found the service was rated Good.

We found improvements to the storage and the records relating to people’s medicines. We also found improvements to the use of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and with systems to monitor the quality and risks in the home.

We found the environment of the care home was clean and had been well maintained. At the time of our inspection visit the care home was warm and had been decorated for the festive season.

People received support from caring staff who respected their privacy, dignity and the importance of independence. People were 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. People received personalised care and had opportunities to take part in activities both in their accommodation and in the wider community. People were supported to maintain contact with their relatives.

People were protected from harm and abuse through the knowledge of staff and management. Sufficient staffing levels were maintained and staff were supported through training and meetings to maintain their skills and knowledge to support people. There were arrangements in place for people and their representatives to raise concerns about the service.