Archived: Knowle Hill

Updated 23 September 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the registered 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.

This inspection took place on 17 August 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors and an 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. The expert had experience of older people and dementia care.

Before our inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the home. This included correspondence we had received about the service and notifications submitted by the service. We asked the provider to complete 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. The PIR was returned as requested.

We contacted Sheffield local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We received feedback from commissioners and this information was reviewed and used to assist with our inspection.

During our inspection we spoke with thirteen people living at the home and five of their relatives or friends to obtain their views of the support provided. We spoke with nine members of staff, which included the deputy manager, the administrator, care workers, an activity worker and ancillary staff such as catering and domestic staff. We also spoke with three health professionals who were visiting the home during our inspection.

We spent time observing daily life in the home including the care and support being offered to people. We spent time looking at records, which included four people’s care records, three staff records and other records relating to the management of the home, such as training records and quality assurance audits and reports.

Updated 23 September 2015

Knowle Hill is purpose built and registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 40 older people. Accommodation is provided over 4 floors. One floor of the home is dedicated to providing support for up to 12 people living with dementia. All of the bedrooms are single. Each floor has a communal lounge and dining room. A passenger lift is available and all areas of the home are accessible. The home has an enclosed garden and a small car park.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with CQC. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Our last inspection at Knowle Hill took place on 30 September 2013. The home was found to be meeting the requirements of the regulations we inspected at that time.

This inspection took place on 17 August 2015 and was unannounced. This meant the people who lived at Knowle Hill and the staff who worked there did not know we were coming. On the day of our inspection there were 37 people living at Knowle Hill.

The registered manager was not present during our inspection visit and the deputy manager was in charge of the home.

People spoken with were positive about their experience of living at Knowle Hill. They told us they felt safe and staff were “kind”. They told us they could talk to staff and if they had any worries or concerns they would be listened to.

Relatives spoken with had no concerns regarding their loved ones care. They told us staff always kept them up to date with any news and they were always made to feel welcome at Knowle Hill.

Healthcare professionals spoken with also made positive comments. One healthcare professional told us, “Knowle Hill is one of the best. I recommend it.”

We found systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely.

Staff recruitment procedures were thorough and ensured people’s safety was promoted.

Staff were provided with relevant induction and training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff understood their role and what was expected of them. They were happy in their work, motivated and confident in the way the service was managed. The service followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) Code of practice and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This helped to protect the rights of people who may not be able to make important decisions themselves.

People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health. A varied and nutritious diet was provided to people that took into account dietary needs and preferences so their health was promoted and choices could be respected.

People living at the home, and their relatives said they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.

We saw people participated in a range of daily activities both in and outside of the home which were meaningful and promoted independence.

There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure full and safe procedures were adhered to. People using the service and their relatives had been asked their opinion via surveys, the results of these had been audited to identify any areas for improvement.