Hancox Close

Updated 16 April 2020

The inspection

We carried out this 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.

Inspection Team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Hancox Close is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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.

Notice of inspection

The inspection took place on 28 February 2020 and was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included information received from the provider about deaths, accidents and incidents and safeguarding alerts which they are required to send to us by law. We used information the provider sent to us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once a year to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We requested feedback from the Local Authority quality monitoring officers. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During our inspection

We spoke with one person living at the home. Some people, due to their complex care needs and disabilities were unable to give us detailed feedback about the home. We spent time with people to see how staff supported them. We also spoke with two care workers and the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records, including two people's care records and medication records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service, including audits and systems for managing any complaints. We reviewed the registered manager’s records of their visits to the service; and records of when checks were made on the quality of care provided.

Updated 16 April 2020

About the service

Hancox Close is a residential care home, providing personal care and accommodation for up to six people. There were six people living at the home at the time of the inspection. The home was divided into bedrooms, two shared kitchens, lounges, gardens and dining room areas.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

People felt safe at Hancox Close. Staff understood how to keep people safe and embraced team working to reduce potential risks to people.

People and their relatives were placed at the heart of the service and were involved in choosing their care and support, from pre-admission to living in the home. 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.

The staff team worked hard to promote people’s dignity and prevent people from becoming socially isolated within the home. Respect and dignity were cornerstones of the values upheld by the staff.

People received kind, responsive person-centred care from staff who were well trained, motivated and supported by a registered manager who led the staff team to provide the best care they could. People using the service benefited from a well led service. Partnership working enabled people to maintain their wellbeing.

Rating at last inspection: The last comprehensive inspection report for Hancox Close was published in October 2017 and we gave an overall rating of Good in all areas. At this inspection we found the service continued to be Good and have rated the service as Good in all areas.

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

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.