HF Trust - 330 Westward Road

Updated 3 September 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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

HFT 330 Westward Road 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 had no 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. However, there was a manager in post who supported us with our inspection and was in the process of registering with CQC.

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.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people and observed staff interaction with all the people who lived in the home throughout the day as people carried out their activities and household chores. We also spoke with three staff members, a regional manager and the manager and reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care and medication records. We looked at three 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 spoke with four relatives after the inspection to gain feedback about the service their family member received.

Updated 3 September 2019

About the service HFT 330 Westward Road is a residential care home providing personal care to seven people with a learning disability and/or autism at the time of the inspection.

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 and what we found

People were supported in accordance with the provider’s Fusion Model which was based on the concept of Person-Centred Active Support (PCAS). This model followed 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. We found this creative staff approach had brought outstandingly individualised outcomes for people that 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.

We found people were supported through this model to manage their own medicines, take ownership of the service’s garden and be actively involved as citizens through various projects.

People were given opportunities to live a fulfilled and meaningful life and were supported to reach their potential and live as independent as possible. People told us they were happy at the home which was supported by feedback from people’s relatives who were extremely positive about the care their family members received. They complimented the caring nature of staff and felt the service was well-led.

Staff told us they were confident in the leadership skills and vision of the provider and manager. A strong management team and an established staff team ensured the values and vision of the service were embedded in the care practices of staff.

The care people received was focused around their individual needs. The service was inclusive and empowered people to be involved in the local community. Staff were proactive in supporting people to maximise their potential and strengths and enable them to organise events in the home and community. People were supported to maintain relationships with people who were important to them.

Staff had a continuous approach and a healthy balance of supporting people to understand the potential risks linked with their activities. People’s needs had been assessed and their support requirements and preferences were recorded in detail to provide staff with the guidance they needed to support people. Effective systems were in place to manage people’s finances and medicines so that they received them safely and on time. People were supported to access health care services and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff had been safely recruited to support people. Staff told us they felt supported and trained and had access to the information they needed to support people. They understood their responsibility to report concerns and poor practices.

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. Staff were skilled in de- escalation and distraction techniques when people showed signs of becoming upset or frustrated. People were given the space to be by themselves or use relaxation techniques if they felt they were becoming agitated.

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 13 January 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.