Holywell Home

Updated 5 February 2022

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 the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 21 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 5 February 2022

About the service

Holywell Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to six people with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection there were four people living there.

The home is a four-storey terraced property close to all the amenities in the town. The top floor is designated for staff use only. The third and second (street level) floors have bedrooms and communal bathrooms. The basement accommodates one bedroom and the communal kitchen and lounge. There is no lift access to the upper floors therefore the home is not suitable for people who cannot manage stairs.

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.

There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.

As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people.

The service used positive behaviour support principles to support people in the least restrictive way. No restrictive intervention practices were used.

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

There were enough numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet people’s needs. Staff training was ongoing, and they had received sufficient training to safely support and care for people with a learning disability. Staff were regularly supported by the registered manager through staff meetings, supervision and appraisals.

Hazards to people’s safety had been identified and managed. Where safeguarding concerns or incidents had occurred, these had been reported by the registered manager to the appropriate authorities.

When employing people, the registered manager had completed checks to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. The staff treated people in a kind and caring way. People enjoyed spending time with and laughing and joking with the staff.

People were supported to access activities that were made available to them and pastimes of their choice. People told us about their recent holiday they had been on supported by staff and how they had enjoyed it. People enjoyed the meals provided.

The staff gave people the support they needed to take their medicines. People received their medicines safely and as their doctors had prescribed. The staff supported people to see their doctors as they needed. The service worked with a variety of external agencies and health professionals to provide appropriate care and support to meet people’s physical and emotional health needs.

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 and their families had been fully involved in planning and reviewing the care and support provided.

People's rights were protected. People were treated with respect and their dignity and privacy were actively promoted by the staff supporting them. People were fully supported to maintain their independence. The provider planned people's care to meet their needs and take account of their choices. People could see their families and friends as they wished.

People knew how they could raise concerns about the service provided. Auditing and quality monitoring systems were in place that allowed the service to demonstrate effectively the safety and quality of the provision. The provider and registered manager monitored the quality of the service and identified areas which could be improved.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 (21 March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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

Follow up

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