Highgate Road

Updated 28 February 2024

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 conducted by a CQC Operations Manager who visited the service. A Regulatory Coordinator worked remotely to make calls to relatives of people who used the service.

Service and service type

Highgate Road is a ‘care home’. 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. Highgate Road is a care home without nursing care. 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 a registered manager was not in post. However, a new manager had recently started to work at the service and they had applied to register with us.

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

We spoke with 1 person and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 3 staff members, the manager and the nominated individual. A nominated individual supervises the management of a regulated activity across an organisation.

We reviewed a range of records, these included 2 people’s care records, medicines administration records, as well as governance and quality assurance records. We also looked at 2 staff recruitment files.

Updated 28 February 2024

About the service

Highgate Road is a care home for people who may have a learning disability or autism. The service was registered for up to 6 people. At the time of our inspection 5 people lived at the service on a permanent basis and 1 person was in receipt of respite care.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

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

Right Support:

People and their relatives told us they felt safe and supported. Risks were assessed and managed to ensure people could safely participate in activities they enjoyed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were able to receive visitors without restrictions in line with best practice guidance.

Right Care:

People were safeguarded from abuse and avoidable harm. There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff and the provider operated safe recruitment processes for staff who they directly employed. Staff supported people in line with their individual preferences and agreed care plans.

People were supported to receive their medicines safely and were protected from the risk of infection as staff followed safe infection prevention and control practices.

Right Culture:

There was a positive and open culture at the service. Staff were involved in the running of the service and the provider worked in partnership with others to achieve good outcomes for people.

The quality of care was monitored and lessons were learned when things had gone wrong.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 9 November 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. We completed a focused inspection to review safe and well-led only.

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

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation in relation to the systems in place to ensure self-employed staff are suitable to work at the service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.