Bishop Herbert House

Updated 8 November 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.

The inspection took place on 8 October 2018. It was an unannounced inspection carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information, we held about the service. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also looked at notifications. Providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission about events and incidents that occur including unexpected deaths, injuries to people receiving care and safeguarding matters.

The service provides care and support to people some of whom have complex needs, which meant they could not always readily tell us about their experiences. They communicated with us in different ways, such as facial expressions, signs and gestures. On the day of the inspection we observed the way people interacted with the management team and staff. We met and spoke with six people who used the service and one relative.

We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, a registered manager from another of the provider’s services who used to manage the service, four care staff and the cook. We received feedback from three community professionals. We reviewed three people’s care plan and medication administration records (MAR), three staff files and other records relating to the quality and safety of the service.

Updated 8 November 2018

Bishop Herbert House 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.

Bishop Herbert House is registered to provide care and support for up to 14 adults with physical disabilities, some of whom may reside there on a respite basis. At the time of our unannounced inspection there were 14 people who used the service.

At our last inspection on 2 February 2016, we rated the service overall Good. The key questions Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well Led were rated good.

At this unannounced inspection on 8 October 2018, we found the evidence continued to support the overall 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.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe. They were trained and supported to meet people’s needs. Staff were available when people needed assistance and had been recruited safely.

Staff had developed good relationships with people. Staff consistently protected people’s privacy and dignity and promoted their independence.

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

People continued to receive care that was personalised and responsive to their needs. They participated in meaningful activities and were supported to pursue their interests and hobbies. The service listened to people’s experiences, concerns and complaints and acted where needed.

People were enabled to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet. They were also supported to maintain good health and access to healthcare services.

The management team were passionate and committed to delivering high quality care and support to people. They were accessible, supportive and had good leadership skills. Staff were aware of the values of the provider and understood their roles and responsibilities. Morale was good within the workforce.

Systems were in place to receive, record, store and administer medicines safely. Where people required assistance to take their medicines there were arrangements in place to provide this support safely.

The design and layout of the building was hazard free and met the needs of people who lived there. All areas of the home were clean and in a good state of repair with equipment maintained. Systems were in place to minimise the risks to people, including from abuse, accessing the community and with their medicines.

A system of audits ensured the provider had oversight of the quality and safety of the service and shortfalls were identified and addressed. There was a culture of listening to people and positively learning from events so similar incidents were not repeated. As a result, the quality of the service continued to develop.