Highfield House Residential Care Home

Updated 3 July 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 the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 21 June 2021 and was announced.

Updated 3 July 2021

About the service

Highfield House Residential Care Home is a care home. The home specialises in the care of older people but does not provide nursing care. The home can accommodate a maximum of 22 people. Out of 22 rooms, three had en-suite facilities that include a shower and 15 had a sink and toilet. There were four communal bathrooms spread over two floors. At the time of the inspection 22 People lived at the home.

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

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 supported by staff that were caring and treated them with dignity and respect. Staff understood the needs of the people they supported well and knew them as a person. All the feedback we received from people’s relatives and healthcare professionals was positive.

Risks of abuse to people were minimised. Assessments of people’s needs identified known risks and risk management guidance was produced for staff.

People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff felt supported by the registered manager. Staff understood their role and received appropriate training that supported them in their roles.

Staff worked together with a range of healthcare professionals to achieve positive outcomes for people. Staff followed professional advice to achieve this which included administering people’s medicines as prescribed. We recommend the provider consider current guidance on administering people’s medicines and take action to update their practice accordingly.

People’s care plans were consistent and had a person-centred approach to care planning. Staff supported people to maintain important relationships and continue personal hobbies and interests.

Since 2016 onwards all organisations that provide publicly funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard [AIS]. The standard was introduced to make sure people are given information in a way they can understand. The registered manager was aware of the AIS and ensured information was shared in an accessible way.

People's concerns and complaints were listened and responded to. Accidents and incidents were reviewed. People and their relatives commented positively about the registered manager and the quality of care their family member received.

Quality monitoring systems included regular audits to ensure people received good care. Whilst these were in place and mostly effective, the provider had not identified some minor shortfalls through their governance system.

The registered manager had ensured all relevant legal requirements, including registration and safety obligations, and the submission of notifications, had been complied with. The registered manager felt staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This was evident to us throughout the inspection.

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

Rating at last inspection (and update) The last rating for this service was outstanding (published 22 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.