Archived: Hilltop

Hilltop is a residential care home providing personal care for up to seven people with autism. At the time of the inspection there were six people being supported. The service provides care in one domestic style property

The service had been developed prior to publication of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. Staff values were in line with the underlying principles of the guidance. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

The service encouraged people to live as full a life as possible and supported them to achieve the best possible outcomes. People's confidence, independence and wellbeing had improved since they began using the service.

Dedicated and enthusiastic staff ensured that people's daily life was filled with meaningful opportunities, entertainment and involvement in making friends and reducing social isolation.

People were protected from the risk of abuse. Risks to people had been assessed and were managed safely.

There were enough staff to safely meet people's needs. Staff knew to report any incidents or accidents and the registered manager reviewed incident records to look for trends and reduce the risk of repeat occurrence.

Staff received good training and support to carry out their roles effectively. Staff were positive about working in the service. Staff worked with other professionals to ensure people's healthcare needs were met.

People and their relatives (where appropriate) had been consulted about their care and support needs. The service had a complaints procedure in place.

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.

People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and told us they enjoyed the choice of meals and snacks.

Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy. People were involved in making decisions about the support they received. Staff were caring and compassionate in their approach.

The home was well led. Systems and checks were in place to ensure that the home was operating well.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

This was the first inspection since a change in registration on 05/03/2019. The last rating for this service was Good (published on 3 January 2018)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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