Archived: Horncliffe House

Updated 8 March 2018

We carried out this comprehensive inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection visit took place on 14 February 2018 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of an adult social care inspector and an expert-by-experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert- by-experience had a background dealing with older people.

Before our inspection on 14 February 2018 we reviewed the information we held on the service. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affect the health, safety and welfare of people who lived at the home and previous inspection reports. We also checked to see if any information concerning the care and welfare of people who lived at the home had been received.

We also contacted the commissioning department at Blackpool County Council and Healthwatch Blackpool. Healthwatch Blackpool is an independent consumer champions for health and social care. This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.

As part of the inspection we used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the visit we spoke with a range of people about the service. They included eight people who lived at the home and four relatives/friends visiting. In addition we spoke with four staff members including the cook, care and domestic staff and the registered manager. We also observed care practices and how staff interacted with people in their care. This helped us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at care records of two people, staff training documentation and arrangements for meal provision. We also looked at records relating to the management of the home and medication records of two people. In addition we checked staffing levels and had a walk around the building to ensure it was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to live.

Updated 8 March 2018

Horncliffe House is located in a residential area at the southern end of Blackpool. The home is registered to accommodate up to 24 people who require assistance with personal care. The purpose built property is set it its own grounds with garden areas to the front and rear of the building. There is wheelchair access and a passenger lift for ease of access. At the time of the inspection visit 17 people were living at the home.

There was a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.

At the last inspection in November 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

At the last inspection we recommended water temperatures were checked regularly so that people were not at risk of scalding themselves. At this inspection they had addressed the issue.

Horncliffe House is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

We spoke with people who lived at the home and comments were positive in relation to care and support provided by the staff team. One person said, “The staff are fantastic nothing is too much trouble we get along like a house on fire.”

We found staff were aware of treating people as individuals with importance placed on promoting dignity and respect. People who lived at the home confirmed staff treated them as individuals and delivered person centred care.

The service had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices.

Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during their daily routines and delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were currently being updated.

Staff had been appropriately trained and supported. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.

People told us they received their medicines as prescribed and when needed. We found appropriate arrangements were in place for the safe storage of medicines.

We looked around the building and found it was clean and a safe place for people to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required. However some areas of the home were in need of updating. The registered manager acknowledged areas of the building required upgrading to improve standards throughout the home. Comments from relatives, staff and people who lived at the home spoke about the need for refurbishment of the home.

People had been 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.

Staff had been appropriately trained and supported. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.

People told us the standard of food at Horncliffe House was good and they were able to have a choice of meals. One person said, “The food is really good and I enjoy it.”

There was a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home and their relatives. People we spoke with told us they were happy and had no complaints.

People who lived at the home told us they enjoyed a variety of activities which were organised for their entertainment.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits, staff meetings and daily discussions with people who lived at the home to seek their views about the service provided.