Highfield House

Highfield House is an eight-bedded, community-based rehabilitation unit in Nuneaton, mainly for men and women who have mental health difficulties.

We did not monitor responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983 at this location, however we examined the Trust responsibilities under the Mental Health Act at other locations and we have reported this within the overall Trust report.

People told us they felt safe at Highfield House. Staff we spoke with understood how to keep people safe and how to report any issues of concern. We found that there were comprehensive risk assessment systems in place to keep people and the environment safe.

There were systems in place to ensure an effective service. People and staff could give feedback and influence the running of the service via daily meetings.  Surveys and audits measured the quality and effectiveness of systems. Staff undertook training to ensure they were competent and confident in their work with people.

We found staff actively promoted a ‘Recovery’ approach with people. Staff encouraged people to participate in a discussion about their needs and give their views about their care and treatment. People who use services were involved in developing their care plans and risk assessments. People were complimentary about staff and we saw people were treated with dignity and respect.

Staff at Highfield House helped people to move on, where possible, to live in the community. They helped people access community teams and services as part of their transition from hospital. Systems were in place for people to give feedback on the service and to respond to their needs. The Outreach Team carried out specialist pieces of work to address people’s needs and support them to become more independent.

Staff were given information and had an understanding of the governance framework such as systems for feedback after incidents. Staff reported support from their teams and line managers and systems for giving feedback on the service. Staff told us that they had direct contact with their managers but did not meet Trust Executive Team members. Some staff spoke to us regarding their apprehension about possible changes in the Trust affecting their service.