Archived: Hazel View

Hazel View is a residential care home registered to provide personal care for up to five people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were four people living at Hazel View with a fifth expected to move in in the near future.

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 a learning disability or autistic people to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service was a domestic-sized home on two floors. It was part of small community of homes run by the provider. There were some shared facilities available to people living at the home such as a day centre and club room. Staff did not wear anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

People received care and support that was safe. People were protected from avoidable harm and abuse. There were enough staff deployed to support people safely. The provider met good practice standards with respect to managing medicines and preventing the spread of infection.

People received care and support that was effective and based on detailed assessments and care plans which reflected their physical, mental and social needs. 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.

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. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

There were caring relationships between people and their support workers. Staff were aware of and supported people’s emotional needs. Staff respected and promoted people’s privacy, dignity and independence, and encouraged people to be as independent as possible.

People’s care and support met their needs and reflected their preferences. The provider was aware of and followed best practice guidance with respect to meeting people’s communication needs. People could take part in relevant activities which reflected their interests and prevented social isolation.

The service was well led. The provider focused on meeting people’s individual needs and preferences. The provider worked in cooperation with other agencies and worked to continuously improve the service people received. This was supported by effective management and quality systems appropriate to the size of the service.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 19 April 2017).

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.

Hazel View is a residential care home which is registered to provide a service for up to five people with learning disabilities. Some people had other associated difficulties including needing support with behaviours which could be distressing and/or harmful. There were five people living there on the day of the visit. The service offers accommodation in a domestic sized house, over two floors. The home is one of eight houses in a small community provided by Purley Park Trust Limited.

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

There is a registered manager running the service. 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.

The service was safe, improvements had been made since the last inspection. Staff who had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and health and safety policies and procedures kept people as safe as possible. Staff understood how to protect people and followed the relevant procedures. General risks and risks to individuals were identified and action was taken to reduce them.

People’s needs were met and they were supported safely by adequate numbers of staff. The service made sure, that as far as possible, staff were recruited safely and were suitable to work with the people who live in the home. People were given their medicines appropriately, at the right times and in the right amounts by trained and competent staff.

The service remained effective. People’s health and well-being needs were met by staff who were well trained and responded effectively to people’s current and changing needs. The service sought advice from and worked with health and other professionals to ensure they met people’s health and well-being needs.

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

The service continued to be caring and responsive. The staff team were committed and provided care with kindness and respect. Care staff were attentive, responsive and knowledgeable about the needs of individuals. Individualised care planning ensured people’s equality and diversity was respected. People were provided with activities, according to their needs, abilities and preferences.

The registered manager was highly thought of by people who use the service and the staff Team. She was described as approachable and supportive. The quality of care the service provided was assessed, reviewed and improved, as necessary.

People appeared happy and relaxed and we saw that they were spoken to with respect. They were offered choices and encouraged to make decisions.

We saw that staff knew the people living in Hazel View well. The care and support that we observed reflected the guidance in the support plans. People told us that they 'really liked the staff' and that 'they look after me well.' One person told us how they had been out to an activity in the morning and it had been 'fantastic.'

The care plans gave staff guidance on how to support people in each aspect of their life. Staff we spoke with told us they found them clear and concise.

People were protected from the risk of inadequate nutrition. They were involved in choosing what they ate and drank. Staff supported them to make healthy choices.

Medications were ordered, handled and stored appropriately. There were processes in place to ensure they were safely administered.

Records were accurate. They were held securely and destroyed in line with policy.

We saw that people were involved in what happened in the house and that they were offered choices and their decisions were respected. We saw that they were referred to by their preferred name and treated with dignity. We observed that the care and support offered to the people living in Hazel View reflected what was recorded in their support plans.

We saw that there were sufficient staff on duty to meet peoples' needs.

We found that the house had been maintained, kept clean and tidy and provided sufficient space for the people that lived there.

There was a clear complaints policy and staff members made sure that everyone knew what to do if they wanted to make a complaint.