Archived: Hilcote Hall

Updated 28 September 2015

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.

The unannounced inspection was carried out by two inspectors on 26 February 2015.

The provider had kept us updated of events by sending us relevant notifications. Notifications are reports of accidents, incidents and deaths of service users. We reviewed the information we held about the home. We also reviewed the information we received from other agencies that had an interest in the service, such as the local authority commissioners.

We spoke with a doctor (GP) and a nurse practitioner who were visiting the service. We also spoke with a Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN) over the telephone. We spoke with the registered manager, four care staff and a kitchen assistant.

We spoke with eight people who used the service and met with three relatives. We observed how people’s needs were met by the staff who worked at the home including how staff interacted with people. We looked at three people’s care plans, their daily care records and records relating to their medication. We observed how staff interacted with people who used the service and how people’s care and support needs were met.

We looked at the provider’s staff training plan and record of staff training and we spoke to staff about their training. We looked at records relating to the recruitment of four staff members. We also looked at records of their induction training and supervision and spoke to a staff member about this.

We viewed records relating to quality monitoring including internal and external audits. We looked at the log of complaints and compliments and we saw records relating to the maintenance of the building and equipment.

Updated 28 September 2015

The inspection took place on 26 February 2015 and was unannounced.

Hilcote Hall provides accommodation and personal care for a maximum of 44 people who may have dementia and/ or a physical disability.

A registered manager was in post. 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’s risks were assessed in a way that kept them safe from the risk of harm. Where possible people’s rights to be as independent as possible were respected.

People who used the service received their medicines safely. Systems were in place that ensured people were protected from risks associated with medicines management.

We found that there were enough suitably qualified staff available to meet people’s care needs. Call bells were responded to in a timely manner. Staff were trained to carry out their role and the provider had plans in place for updates and refresher training. The provider had safe recruitment procedures that ensured people were supported by suitable staff.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) set out the requirements that ensure where appropriate, decisions are made in people’s best interests when they are unable to do this for themselves. Not everyone who lacked capacity to make decisions had undergone a mental capacity assessment.

People told us that staff were kind and caring. Staff treated people with respect and ensured their privacy and dignity was upheld.

People had opportunities to be involved in hobbies and interests that were important to them.

The provider had a complaints procedure available for people who used the service and complaints were appropriately managed.

There was a positive atmosphere within the home and staff told us that the registered manager was approachable and led the team well. Staff received supervision of their practice and had opportunities to meet regularly as a team.

Visiting professionals thought that the home was managed well and that people who used the service received good quality care and support.

The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the service and we saw that improvements had been made when identified as necessary.