Kings Mill Court

Updated 3 October 2019

The inspection

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.

Inspection team

The inspection took place on 1 and 3 July 2019 and was announced on both days to ensure someone would be in the office to speak with us. The inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides personal care and supported living to people living in their own flats in a shared building. The accommodation is rented and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate the premises; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support service.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

What we did before the inspection

Prior to our inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service. This included information from notifications received from the registered provider, feedback from the local authority safeguarding team and commissioners. We reviewed all the information we had been provided with from third parties to fully inform our approach to inspecting this service.

The registered provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service. Some people who used the service used non-verbal communication methods. As we were not familiar with their way of communicating we used different methods to help us understand their experiences. We spent time in the communal areas observing the care and support people received. We spent time looking at three people’s care plans and other records. We looked at three records relating to staff recruitment, supervision and training, and various documents relating to the service's quality assurance systems. We spoke with the registered manager two senior support workers and two support workers.

After the inspection: We spoke with one family member.

Updated 3 October 2019

About the service

Kings Mill Court is a complex of 12 self-contained flats in the Newsome area of Huddersfield. The service provides personal care and support for up to 12 people with complex physical needs, behaviours that challenge and/or learning disabilities. People live in tenancies agreed with a landlord. Staff were on site 24 hours a day. At the time of our inspection, the service was providing care for 12 people. The flats had a communal lounge and kitchen on the ground floor and secure gardens which provided a private leisure area.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin 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. 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

The outcomes for people using the service truly reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the promotion of choice, control, independence and inclusion. The registered manager constantly looked for ways to improve the service. They had pro-actively engaged people and involved them at every opportunity and used excellent communication techniques and resources to include people and respond to any issues that arose.

Kings Mill Court was exceptional at placing people at the heart of the service. The managers and staff of the service had a strong focus on people having as many opportunities as possible to develop their confidence, gain new skills and become as independent as they could.

There was a very positive culture in the service. Staff attributed this to the strong guidance in the service and believed the high levels of positivity in the service stemmed from outstanding leadership. People experienced excellent levels of staff support and interaction to lead fulfilling lives.

People’s voices were of paramount importance in the service. Staff shared the same hopes and aspirations for people to continue to live the lifestyle of their choice. People we spoke with during our inspection highly praised the service and the impact it was having on them. People were supported by staff who were determined to ensure people could make their own choices. Staff assisted people to make their wishes a reality.

Through exceptional care planning people had become significantly more independent and less socially isolated. People had been introduced to new activities, which had led to the development of hobbies, friendships and self-confidence.

There was a strong focus on treating people with equality. Bespoke techniques were used to involve and empower those with communication difficulties to ensure their voices were heard and valued. People told us they were highly valued, shown great respect and their dignity preserved.

People told us they were happy and safe, and staff knew who to contact if they suspected any abuse had taken place. Individualised risk assessments promoted positive supported risk taking. A robust system of learning from incidents kept people safe.

Staff felt very supported with an induction and role specific training, which ensured they had the knowledge and skills to support people.

Meals were planned along with each person around their tastes and preferences and healthy lifestyles were promoted. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare professionals and services.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their life and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions had been completed where capacity was in doubt.

The registered provider had excellent systems of governance in place to drive improvements to the quality and safety of the service and to promote and share excellent practice.

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

Rating at the last inspection

At the last inspection the service was rated good (last report published 07/01/2017 )

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor the service and re-inspect in line with the current rating. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.