Kirkgate House - Care Home

Updated 29 April 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

This 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

Kirkgate House - Care Home 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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with nine members of staff including the registered manager, acting manager, deputy manager, one senior support worker, five care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two 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

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service and two relatives.

Updated 29 April 2020

About the service

Kirkgate House - Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to people with a learning disability and/or autism. At the time of the inspection 28 people were living at the service.

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 ensured 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.

The provider recognised the service does not meet best practice guidelines in relation to the size of the service. They had adapted the environment to try to overcome this challenge, to enable people to have their own smaller self-contained areas. There were five areas to the property, one which included two bedsits for people. Each area had its own lounge, kitchenette and front door, which people had their own key fobs to access. Downstairs there were communal areas where people could choose to spend time if they wished. This included a lounge, dining area and the registered manager’s office. 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. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

Staff provided extremely person-centred support which helped people to achieve many positive outcomes. A wide variety of activities were organised based on people’s interests and hobbies, as well as encouraging socialisation amongst people, their relatives and the local community.

Staff used an innovative approach to technology which had a highly positive impact and promoted people’s independence. Technology was also used in the service to enable people to have experiences they may not otherwise be able to participate in, such as going on a simulated roller coaster and swimming with sharks.

The provider used individually tailored ways to ensure people’s communication needs were fully met. The registered manager put great emphasis on all members of the staff team being able to communicate effectively with people, irrelevant of their job role. Aids and adaptations were used to ensure people’s privacy was maintained.

The management team demonstrated a commitment to providing very person-centred, high quality care. We received consistently positive feedback from people, their relatives and staff about the registered manager. The staff team were fully supported which motivated them in their role. Health professionals were consistently positive about the service and their working relationship with staff.

The staff fully supported people to live healthier lives. They had recently started a ‘Healthy Initiative’ which included healthy eating and exercise. This had a positive impact on people’s wellbeing. The staff worked in partnership with healthcare professionals to ensure people’s health care needs were met. Staff were knowledgeable; all members of the staff team were empowered by participating in training outside of their specific job roles. People’s end of life wishes had been explored with them, and staff provided highly sensitive and emotional support to people regarding death and bereavement.

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.

People were involved in the recruitment of their staff and safe recruitment practices were followed. Staff were competent in ensuring people received their medication as prescribed. The service was clean and tidy, and staff supported people to be fully involved in the upkeep of the service.

Staff were kind and caring. There was a consistent staff team that knew people well. They ensured people’s independence was encouraged.

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 Care Quality Commission website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 6 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.