Whitley Farm

Updated 2 March 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 care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has 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 20 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 2 March 2022

About the service

Heathcotes (Whitley) is a residential care home for people with autism, learning disabilities, mental health needs, physical disability or sensory impairment.

The premises are in a rural location on the outskirts of the village of Whitley. The main building has eight bedrooms on the ground and upper floor, each with en-suite facilities. A one bedroomed self-contained flat is separate to the main house. The premises have communal areas and secure outside space people to use.

Services for people with learning disabilities and or autism are supported

The service was registered to provide support to up to nine people and there were nine people using the service at the time of our inspection. The service is larger than recommended by best practice guidance. However, we have rated this service good because the environment had been made as homely as possible, there were communal spaces such as two separate lounges and two outdoor areas so people could access space when needed. Staff empowered people to live their lives as they had chosen and achieve their aspirations, such as to travel independently on public transport. The provider was continually looking to improve people’s life skills, choice, control and involvement in the community, including through work opportunities.

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

The provider encouraged a person-centred approach to explore people’s specific needs and best to support them. The staff team communicated well with each other to plan and deliver the best outcomes for people. People were supported to build independent living skills and work in the community. Activities and events considered each person’s needs and supported social inclusion and choice.

Staff described a family atmosphere within the home. People were encouraged to maintain relationships with friends and relatives, people used digital means of communication when relatives were unable to visit.

People trusted staff that knew and understood them. Staff were aware of risks to people and how to respond to them. Staff supported people to express themselves through a variety of different communication methods including sign language.

The area manager was in charge of the day to day running of this service to ensure it was well-led. The new manager had completed their induction programme. They were in the process of awaiting documentation before submitting an application to register with CQC. Staff morale was good at the time of this inspection, considering the management changes in progress. Staff were keen to build positive relations with their new manager and support them to settle into the service. This showed they supported the visions and values of the service to provide a consistent and positive approach to provide the best quality of service for people.

The service demonstrated positive outcomes for people which reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support. This included supporting people to make their own decisions and choices to maintain independence and control of their lives. People's life experiences were improved by staff accessing the right support at the right time, to maintain positive outcomes for people's health conditions. The service ensured people's rights were upheld and advocated on their behalf when necessary. This meant people received timely care and support from health professionals and other agencies, which had a positive impact on their lives.

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 relatives or representatives were fully involved in all aspects of their care. People's aspirations were considered, and goals set to achieve them. Staff were committed to improving people’s experiences, explore their capabilities and help them to build new life skills. Staff knew the importance of asking for people's consent before delivering care and support to them.

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 Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (Published 9 September 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.