Gorse Hill

Updated 15 November 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 carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Gorse Hill 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. Gorse Hill 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service, such as notifications. These are events that happen in the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We also sought feedback from the local authority.

The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed how staff provided support for people to help us better understand their experiences of the care they received. We spoke with 5 people living in the home, 4 members of staff, the deputy service manager and the registered manager.

We carried out a visual inspection of the premises with the registered manager and reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s care documentation, 2 staff files and 5 people’s medication records. We also reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 15 November 2023

About the service

Gorse Hill provides accommodation and personal care for up to 10 people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection, there were 5 people living in the home.

People’s experience of the service and what we found:

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.

The service demonstrated how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support

People were supported in a kind, sensitive and respectful way. People received person centred support and their needs were met. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. Staff were recruited safely, and relevant checks had been carried out. People were supported by staff who had been trained and were appropriately supervised. People’s needs were assessed prior to the receipt of service. Care and support had been developed around individual assessed needs and preferences. Staff worked in a way which promoted people's independence. People were supported to access healthcare services to ensure their health needs were met. People received their medicines in a safe way.

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 practice.

Right Care

People were positive about the care and support they received. People were treated with dignity and respect, and their independence was encouraged. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. People had personalised support plans which considered their needs and preferences. Any risks to people’s health and well-being had been assessed, recorded and mitigated as much as possible.

People could take part in activities and pursue interests that were tailored to them. The staff gave people opportunities to participate in a wide variety of activities that enhanced and enriched their lives. Staff knew people well and communicated effectively with them to ensure they felt understood and valued.

Right Culture

The registered manager and staff promoted a person-centred culture which was focused on meeting people's individual needs. The registered manager was committed to the continuous improvement of the service. The registered manager and staff sought feedback and worked in partnership with others including health and social care professionals to ensure people received the support they needed. Staff had access to a wide range of relevant training which was refreshed at regular intervals. The provider had established effective systems to monitor the quality of the service.

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

Rating at the last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 29 September 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

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