Archived: Hollybank

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with a person using the service, two family members, the staff supporting them and looking at records. We were also able to obtain a report produced after a quality monitoring visit from Manchester commissioning team in April 2014.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

Training was in place to protect the people who received a service at Hollybank. The training consisted of moving and handling, safeguarding adults and health and safety. The two staff we spoke with had National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) and one was a qualified nurse. This helped to ensure that the staff team had the skills to meet people's needs.

New staff employed had to undergo an induction which consisted of a week's training at the organisations head office and a further four weeks of 'on the job' supervision. There was a check list that the manager and the new member of staff worked through to ensure that they were aware of the policies and procedures and people's care needs.

Hollybank was clean, tidy and free from unpleasant odours. There were soap dispensers and paper towels in the toilets which helped to prevent the spread of infection. We were also able to see gas and electric safety certificates and other service records that ensured the property was safe.

Is the service effective?

We saw from talking with the support worker and manager and looking at the care plans that there was a good understanding of people's needs and that they knew the people well.

The person who was living at Hollybank at the time of our inspection told us that he had an active lifestyle and he was able to pursue his interests.

The two family members we spoke with told us that they were kept informed and were involved in the care plan. They also told us that they had no complaints and if they had they would feel comfortable talking with the staff and manager.

Is the service caring?

Hollybank is a respite care service therefore we were only able to speak with the one person who was living at the home at the time of our inspection. We were however able to speak by telephone with two family members of two people who used the service.

All of the three people we spoke with were happy with the care provided.

The person who was living at Hollybank told us that they (staff) are 'brilliant' and that he could talk to them and felt able to tell them if there was anything wrong.

The two family members we spoke with said that they had no problems regarding the staff team. One person told us ; 'I think the staff are great." They also went onto say; 'X is always eager to go to Hollybank and that if he wasn't happy going his behaviour would change and I would know something was wrong."

We saw during our visit that the person who lived there and the staff team were friendly and relaxed in each other's company.

Is the service responsive to people's needs?

We saw that people's needs were assessed before they were offered respite care at Hollybank to ensure that their needs could be met. We also saw that risk assessments and care plans were in place that reflected the person's care needs to ensure that they received appropriate care.

We were told by the person who was living at Hollybank at the time of our visit that the staff contacted the GP if they were not feeling well.

We saw a document entitled 'What you need to know about me' which contained information about important decisions, how the person must be involved and who would make the final decisions in areas such as health care.

Is the service well led?

People were provided with information that was written in an easy read format in the form of pictures and simple text. This helped people to understand and participate in what the service was providing. Leaflets covered the complaints procedure and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The MCA is an act of parliament to make sure that people who may not able to make appropriate decisions or choices are protected and kept safe.

We were told that the board of directors were visiting all the properties managed by Future Directions CIC which enabled them to be fully aware of all aspects of the service. A report of the findings was written and shared with senior managers.

Tenant's and staff meetings took place and minutes were taken. These meetings allowed people to express their views and opinions. Manager meetings took place at Head Office; included on the agenda was an item 'lessons learnt' which formed the basis for continual improvement.

We were able to see six completed questionnaires that asked for people's view and opinions of the service. There were no negative comments made about the service.