The Hadlows

Updated 5 October 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.

Service and service type

The Hadlows 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 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 five people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager, a senior care worker, and a care worker.

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 training. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service: health and safety, audits, surveys, complaints, complements and staff training.

Updated 5 October 2019

About the service

The Hadlows is a residential care home providing personal care to seven people with an acquired brain injury. An acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury caused to the brain since birth. An ABI can result in people having complex long-term problems affecting their personality, relationships and ability to lead an independent life. The service can support up to nine people.

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

People said they were supported in the right way, so they could do the things that they wanted. This included cooking, gaining employment and visiting places of interest. People were encouraged to be independent and were involved in planning and cooking meals. Mealtimes were social occasions where people and staff sat together, and people helped with the preparation.

Everyone said that staff knew them well and that they enjoyed talking to and spending time with them. Guidance was available for staff to follow about how to meet people’s health, social and personal care needs.

People told us that staff reminded them to make sure they attended medical appointments. People’s health needs were met through developing partnership working with a range of health care professionals. People continued to receive their medicines as prescribed.

Staff received ongoing training and support to ensure they had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet people’s individual needs. People said there were always staff available to support them when they needed.

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 continued to be well led. Everyone benefitted from an open and inclusive culture where lessons were learned to provide good outcomes for people. One professional told us, “The whole team and particularly the registered manager, have been instrumental in providing a safe, responsive, empathic and client centred environment where my client has flourished”.

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 25 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.