Harton Grange

Updated 4 March 2020

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

One inspector, one assistant inspector and one Expert-by-Experience carried out the inspection. 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

Harton Grange 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

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.

During the inspection

We spoke with 13 people who used the service and 12 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with nine members of staff including the registered manager, the deputy manager, seven support workers, the activities co-ordinator, the cook and two visiting professionals. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and four medicine records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff training. 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 4 March 2020

About the service

Harton Grange is a care home providing personal care to 60 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 62 people.

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

The provider's vision and values were person-centred to make sure people were at the heart of the service. This vision was driven by the exceptional leadership of the registered manager.

There was a well-established staff team who had worked at the home for several years. The whole staff team were incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about the services they provided. They were skilled and highly motivated and said they were proud to work at the home and deliver a high quality, caring service. One relative told us, “I think the atmosphere here is magical, I feel very much involved. I can leave here with the knowledge that [Name] is well-cared for.”

Highly person-centred care enriched people's lives and led to extremely positive outcomes. A person told us, “Staff are there for you always. I have a better quality of life here." An extensive range of individual activities were available to promote all people's well-being. One person commented, "I have a banter with staff about football.” Staff supported people to maintain people's links with family and friends. There were also very positive opportunities to connect with the community, including extensive partnership working with local schools and colleges.

People were extremely well-cared for, relaxed and comfortable. Staff had an excellent understanding of their support needs and their personal preferences. They were exceptionally caring and often went the extra mile to support people to a more fulfilled life. One relative commented, "Staff are outstanding, I’d live here myself. I’m here all the time and it’s brilliant. More importantly [Name] is delighted with their home and the care.”

There was clear evidence of collaborative working and excellent communication with other professionals to help meet people's needs and maintain their independence wherever possible. A healthcare professional commented, "I think it is an outstanding home. There are always staff around and the facilities, activities and equipment are excellent.

Feedback about the service from people and relatives was remarkably consistent and exceptionally positive. One relative said, “It’s a very good friendly atmosphere here and the manager is fantastic, it’s like a community.” People, their relatives and staff were confident about approaching the registered manager if they needed to. They were extremely complimentary about the registered manager and the whole workforce.

The service was dedicated to ensuring continuous quality improvement to make a real difference for people. There was a very strong and effective governance system in place. Processes were in place to manage and respond to complaints and concerns. People and relatives recognised that their views were valued and respected. One person commented, “I do feel listened to.” A relative told us, “Management take an interest in you as well as the people who live here.”

People's equality and diversity as unique individuals with their own needs was respected by staff. The service was entirely flexible and changes or adaptations were made to meet people's current needs and choices. The building and environment were well-designed to support the needs of people who may live dementia. It was also accessible, light and spacious for the comfort of people.

People and their relatives were involved and supported in decision making. 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.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 15 July 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.