Harewood Park

Updated 12 November 2019

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.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and one Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Harewood Park 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.

The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. However, there was a manager in place who was going through the registration process with the Care Quality Commission.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the manager, nurses, care assistants, activities coordinator, housekeeping and the chef.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records 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

The manager sent us an action plan relating to the medicines records and how they have adopted a new system to ensure quality checks were being carried out efficiently.

Updated 12 November 2019

About the service

Harewood Park is a home supporting people who may have a mental health condition or learning disability. The home supports people with personal and nursing care, at the time of inspection 32 people were being supported. The home can support up to 35 people. The home operated from two buildings, one being the main house which accommodated up to 28 people and adjacent was the cottage which supported up to 7 people who were starting to live more independently.

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 mental health condition or learning disabilities 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.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to 35 people, not all people living in the home had learning disabilities. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. The home sat within its own grounds and there were no deliberately identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home.

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

People were supported safely by staff who had the skills and knowledge to provide safe and effective support. People’s risks were managed, plans were in place to support people and staff knew people well.

People consented to their care and they were supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Professional advice was sought for people to ensure their health and wellbeing was maintained, which included people’s nutritional needs.

Staff were kind and caring and supported people to communicate. People were listened to and their wishes were respected. People had their privacy and dignity upheld and were encouraged to be independent. People told us they liked living in the home.

People were supported to access the community and take part in activities they enjoyed. People were given the opportunity to become volunteers in the local community which supported the next step to living independently.

Systems were in place to monitor the safety of the home which ensured peoples’ risks were mitigated and lessons were learnt. Action plans had been put into place to ensure the home continuously improved, these included feedback from people.

There was an open culture within the home and people could approach all staff and management to express their thoughts and felt listened to. People’s concerns were acted on which improved peoples’ experience of living in the home.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 20 December 2016)

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.