Hightrees

Updated 15 January 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 care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 09 December 2020 and was announced.

Updated 15 January 2021

About the service: Hightrees is a residential care home providing personal care and support to five people who were aged under 65 at the time of the inspection.

The care service had not originally been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. The home had been registered before such guidance was produced. The guidance focussed on values including choice, promotion of independence and inclusion so that people with learning disabilities and autism using a service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. However, it was clear that people living in Hightrees were given such choices. The home was located in a residential suburb where people’s independence and participation within the local community continued to be encouraged and enabled.

People’s experience of using this service:

People who lived at the home continued to be supported to remain safe. Staff knew people well and supported them with kindness and consideration. We saw that staff were particularly sensitive and supportive when a person who had lived at the home for some time left during the inspection to move to another service.

People received medications safely and risks to people had been assessed and managed to identify and reduce or address the impact of any known risks. Other aspects of safety were well managed in the home, including fire safety and issues of personal safety.

People continued to be supported in a well maintained and comfortable home with access to all communal areas and private space as they wished.

People were supported to have choice and control over their day to day lives and received kind support and assistance from staff to exercise choice to make everyday decisions. Peoples rights were upheld and protected. People were protected from discrimination and supported to make full use of all community based facilities.

People continued to be supported by an established team of staff who provided kind and personalised care to people living in the home. Safe recruitment of staff ensured people were supported by staff of good character and people were supported to be involved in the recruitment process.

The registered manager encouraged staff to identify and support opportunities for people to engage in community-based activities and enjoy a range of experiences in line with their wishes or interests. People’s preferences and experiences were known to the registered manager and staff who encouraged and enabled people to do as much as possible for themselves.

There was a range of monitoring systems in place that checked if the home was well managed and effective in supporting people to have a good quality of life. People were supported by staff who were well trained and focussed on supporting people with their plans.

The home continued to meet the characteristics of a rating of good in all areas.

Rating at last inspection:

The home was rated Good at the last inspection (report published in January 2017).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the home through the information we receive.

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