Archived: Hulton Care Centre

Updated 27 November 2020

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 the Care Quality Commission's (CQC’s) response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 16 November 2020 and was announced.

Updated 27 November 2020

This unannounced inspection was carried out on 26 and 27 June 2018. Hulton Care Centre is a two-storey detached building in Middleton, Greater Manchester. It is registered to provide accommodation for up to 28 people who require personal or nursing care. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people living in the home.

The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We last inspected Hulton Care Centre in May 2016. At that inspection we found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act (HSCA) 2008 (Regulated Activities) in that the recruitment records for new staff did not contain enough information to determine their suitability to work with vulnerable people. At this inspection we found that safe recruitment policies had been adopted, with all employment checks undertaken. The service was no longer in breach of the regulations.

People who used the service were supported in a friendly, relaxed and comfortable environment. They told us that they felt safe, and staff working at Hulton Care Centre understood how to ensure people’s safety and protect vulnerable adults from abuse. Potential environmental risks were assessed as an ongoing process to help prevent any accidents or injuries occurring.

The service used a dependency tool to determine how many workers would be required to meet people’s needs safely, and we saw that there were adequate staffing levels with a good mix of registered nurses and care assistants. Staff were well trained and induction methods allowed them to get to know the people who used the service and how they liked their needs to be met. Regular training and supervision sessions allowed staff to update their knowledge.

The home was clean and odour free. Staff understood how to prevent the spread of infection and were observed using personal protective equipment. There was a supply of disposable gloves and aprons available, and colour coded cleaning equipment minimised the risk of cross infection.

When accidents and incidents occurred, these were appropriately recorded and reviewed so that future reoccurrences could be avoided. We saw that there were safe systems in place to manage and administer medicines, with checks on a daily basis to minimise errors occurring. Care records indicated regular contact with health professionals such as doctors, district nurses, and occupational therapists. The service was attentive to peoples nutritional needs, and followed advice from Speech and Language therapists and dieticians to ensure that food was served following their instructions. The weather during our inspection was hot, and people were regularly offered a supply of cold drinks.

People’s choices were respected, and where they lacked capacity best interest decisions were clearly documented in case notes. Where people were unable to give their consent to receiving care and support, the appropriate deprivation of liberty orders were in place. Care plans gave good instruction to staff to ensure needs were met, and when we spoke with care staff they could tell us about the people they supported, but care plans did not always record their background, culture or preferences.

The service made good use of the space available; communal areas were well planned to allow separate areas for different social interactions. Although there was a lack of storage space for large equipment such as mobile hoists, when not in use these were stored where they would cause the least obstacle. Bedrooms were personalised and decorated in accordance with the person’s wishes. People were treated with kindness and respect. The service had recently achieved a Daisy award for displaying high standards to support dignity in care, scoring 100% in their assessment, and ongoing training and supervision ensured good practice was ingrained. Many of the people who lived at Hulton Care Centre chose to spend much of their time in their own rooms; whilst their privacy was respected staff would spend time with them addressing their needs or providing stimulation or conversation. Care plans reflected peoples wishes at the end of their life, and we saw a number of cards sent from grateful relatives for the care, support and compassion shown to people who were cared for in death.

Risk assessments indicated where people were at risk, and care plans provided instruction to staff to minimise the risks identified. We saw that this had minimised the number of accidents or injuries, for instance, there were relatively few falls and nobody had developed pressure sores at the time of our inspection. Risk assessments and care plans were reviewed monthly.

The registered manager and area manager undertook regular checks and audits to ensure that the service maintained good standards of care and looked to improve the quality of service delivery. The home was well maintained and where complaints had been received there was evidence that these were dealt with appropriately. The registered manager was respected by staff, residents and their relatives, and had a visible presence throughout the home.