About the service: High Trees is a residential care home which consists of two separate houses leading off a shared driveway. High Trees is registered to accommodate, between both houses, up to 16 people living with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people living there.
The care service had not been developed or designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This was because High Trees provided accommodation for up to 16 people, some of whom were expected to use shared facilities including bathrooms and communal areas.
People’s experience of using this service:
People received safe care and support as the staff team had been trained to recognise signs of abuse or risk and understood what to do to safely support people.
People received safe support with their medicines by staff who had received training and who had been assessed as competent. The provider had systems in place to respond to any medicine errors. The provider completed regular checks to ensure that people were receiving the right medicine at the right time.
Staff members followed effective infection prevention and control procedures. When risks to people’s health and welfare were identified, the provider acted to minimise the likelihood of occurrence.
The provider supported staff in providing effective care for people through person-centred care planning, training, supervision. People were promptly referred to additional healthcare services when required.
People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and had choice regarding the food and drinks they consumed. The environment where people lived was well maintained and suited their individual needs and preferences. People were supported to have choice and control over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems supported this practice.
People received help and support from a kind and compassionate staff team with whom they had developed positive relationships. People were supported by staff members who were aware of their individual protected characteristics like age and gender and disability. People were supported to develop their independence and actively took part in decisions about where they lived.
People participated in a range of activities that met their individual choices and preferences and that they found interesting and stimulating. People were provided with information in a way they could understand. Policies and guidelines important to people were provided in an easy to read format with pictures. The provider had systems in place to encourage and respond to any complaints or compliments from people or those close to them.
The provider understood the requirements of their registration with the Care Quality Commission and was meeting the legal requirements. The provider had effective systems to monitor the quality of the service they provided and to drive improvements where needed. The provider had good links with the local community which people benefited from.
More information in Detailed Findings below.
Rating at last inspection:
At the last inspection High Trees was rated ‘Good’ (Published 24 November 2016).
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection, ‘Good.’
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor all intelligence received about the service to ensure the next planned inspection is scheduled accordingly.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk