Prospect House

Updated 21 April 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control (IPC). This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 22 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 21 April 2021

This inspection took place on 19 and 20 December 2017. It was unannounced and was carried out by one inspector.

Prospect House 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. Prospect House accommodates up to nine people in one adapted building. It is registered for younger and older adults with a range of different needs including learning disability, autism, mental health needs, dementia and physical disability. At the time of this inspection six people were living there.

Accommodation is provided on two floors, the ground floor is wheelchair accessible. People had individual bedrooms, most with en-suite facilities and all had access to communal bathrooms. Spacious communal areas were provided on the ground floor, including lounge, kitchen and dining areas. A stair lift was fitted to assist people with limited mobility to access the first floor. Outside there was a parking area and small garden to the front and a large garden to the back and side.

At our comprehensive inspection in October 2017 we found three breaches of the regulations and rated the service as ‘Requires Improvement’. We inspected the service again on 17 March 2017 and found the required improvements had been made and the requirements of the regulations were met. At this inspection we found the service had sustained these improvements and we rated the service as ‘Good’.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager was registered with CQC in October 2010 to manage the service. They were also registered to manage the provider’s other care home in Hereford.

People felt safe at prospect House and were comfortable with the staff who supported them there. Staff understood how to protect people from harm and abuse. Risks to people's safety were identified and clear support plans were followed. Incidents and accidents were monitored and action was taken to reduce risks to people. Environmental risks were assessed and managed appropriately. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and recruitment checks were thorough. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by knowledgeable staff who received ongoing training and support to maintain or improve their skills and competency. Technology was used to make information accessible to people, to support people’s independence and to support the delivery of care. People were encouraged to make their own decisions about the support they received wherever possible. Deprivation of liberty safeguards were in place where people were restricted of their liberty.

Facilities at Prospect House were adapted to meet the needs of the people living there. People were supported to have a healthy and nutritious diet which reflected their individual dietary needs. Staff worked closely with external professionals to meet people's health and well-being needs.

People received support from caring staff who valued and understood them. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's privacy was respected and they were treated with dignity, kindness and compassion. People were supported to maintain relationships with others who were important to them. They received personalised and responsive care which enabled them to live as full a life as possible. People could raise concerns about the service and have their complaints listened to.

Everyone we spoke with was positive about the leadership of the service which they described as ‘friendly’ and accessible. Leaders were aware of the day to day culture at prospect House and upheld the provider’s values, acting inclusively and with integrity. There were systems in place to seek the views of people, their relatives, staff and visiting care professionals. Feedback was taken into account to improve and develop the service provided to people. The registered manager maintained and updated their knowledge through local provider networks and with reference to local and national policies. Additional systems ensured key messages were communicated and the quality of the service was closely monitored.