Hall Road

Updated 20 September 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection, we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Hall Road is a ‘care home’ without nursing. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was no registered manager in post. A manager was in post who had not yet applied to register with the CQC.

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 (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

People were non-verbal so we made observations of their interactions with staff to find out about their experiences of care. We spoke with the manager and deputy manager and three support workers. We reviewed a range of records relating to the care and support provided. This included support plans, 2 staff files in relation to recruitment, and various records relating to the quality and safety of the service. After our visit we received feedback from 2 relatives of people using the service.

Updated 20 September 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

About the service

Hall Road is a care home for up to 7 adults with epilepsy, a learning disability and/ or autism. At the time of the inspection there were 7 people receiving care, accommodation and personal care.

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

Right support: Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and Independence;

People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and the service may not always have supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not always support this practice.

There were risk assessments in place covering the care and support provided, personalised to people’s individual risks. However, environmental risks were not always appropriately managed in line with best practice. The service had not been well maintained and the décor was described as ‘shabby’ by a relative.

Safe medicines management processes were not consistently followed. Infection control measures were in place. A range of health and social care professionals were involved in people’s care and the team worked closely with them to meet people’s needs.

People were kept safe from avoidable harm because staff knew them well and understood how to protect them from abuse through training.

Right care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights;

Staff received a range of training to understand people’s needs and their role. Staff received support through supervision. People received food and drink they enjoyed and choices were available.

There were enough staff to support people safely and staff knew people well. Each person received individual support through the day.

Right culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive, and empowered lives;

There was not a registered manager in post as required by the provider’s registration with the CQC. Systems and processes in place to review the quality and safety of the service had not sufficiently identified and addressed the concerns we found during the inspection. We had concerns that actions identified by staff were not completed in a timely manner.

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

Rating at last inspection

At the last comprehensive inspection the service was rated good (report published 24 April 2018). We inspected in January 2021 and 2022 to look only at infection control procedures.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and length of time since the last inspection comprehensive. We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Hall Road on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, consent, premises and good governance at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.