Home Farm

Updated 18 August 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type

Home Farm is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager and support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included care records, two current care plans, two care files from people who had previously used the service and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 18 August 2021

About the service

Home Farm is a residential care home providing personal care and support to two people living with a learning disability at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to six people living with autism or a learning disability. The service provides short stays for people. This may be for respite care or as a transition to more independent living.

The house is in a rural setting on the outskirts of a village that is near to Workington. The house can support up to six people in single rooms. There are suitable shared areas and a pleasant garden that has an area for sport. The house has a small office and a sleeping-in room for staff.

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

People in the service were safe because staff had a good understanding of how to protect vulnerable people from harm and abuse. Risk management, recruitment and the management of medicines were all managed appropriately. Infection control was in place and the service had been free of Covid-19.

Staff were inducted, trained and supervised. They had accessed training to ensure they could support people. The team worked with other professionals and took their advice about care and support.

People told us they were happy with the food provided and had been encouraged to eat a balanced diet and to start to prepare their own snacks and drinks. They were encouraged to have a healthy lifestyle and were supported to access health care support.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support:

• Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and independence

Right care:

• Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and humanrights

Right culture:

• Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives

We observed caring and respectful interactions between staff and people in the service. People were treated as 'guests' and their care and wellbeing was the primary focus of the team. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and to make their own decisions about their life choices.

The team helped people to develop their care plans. The plans included all the person's need and their aspirations. People were also encouraged to look at their social, recreational and emotional goals. Staff had supported people during the pandemic so that they could maintain relationships and develop social and recreational skills, despite the lockdown measures.

The service was managed by a suitably qualified and skilled person who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. She was highly motivated, very committed and enthusiastic. The staff were supportive of her and empowered by her leadership.

Quality in the service was monitored internally and externally by senior managers of the provider. The operations manager had started to visit the house again to give the registered manager support and to assess the quality of the service. We saw evidence of audits and staff and service user meetings. Staff supervision, appraisal and training was all up to date. Service users' opinions were routinely sought. Planning was in place for ongoing improvement and development of the service.

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

This service was registered with us on 31 October 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

We inspected this service as it had not been rated since registration in October 2019

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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.