Hilltop

Updated 9 May 2019

The inspection:

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Hilltop is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

This was an unannounced inspection

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed information, we held about the service and provider as well as previous inspection reports. We used information the provider sent us in their Provider Information Return. Providers are required to send us key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. This information helps support our inspection. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection we spent time walking around the home and observing how staff interacted with people. We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and four care staff. We also spoke with two relatives by telephone.

We reviewed three people's care records as well as records relating to the management of medicines, complaints and how the registered persons monitored the quality of the service. We also looked at staff records relating to their professional development and recruitment.

Updated 9 May 2019

About the service:

Hilltop is a home for people with learning and physical disabilities and/or autism. The home is registered to provide support for up to six people. There were four people living there at the time of the inspection. The size of service meets current best practice guidance. This promotes people living in a small domestic style property to enable them to have the opportunity of living a full life.

People’s experience of using this service:

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 coordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support. For example, people were supported to have access to local groups and activities in the community and staff promoted choice and inclusion.

• People were protected from avoidable harm by staff who had been trained to keep them safe.

• Staff knew people well and the risks associated with people’s care and health. They understood how to minimise risks to people and when and how to raise any concerns.

• Staff supported people to take their medicines safely and understood how to prevent the spread of infection.

• People received care from a consistent team of staff who had been safely recruited and trained to carry out their role. There were enough staff to meet people’s assessed needs and ensure they lived a meaningful life and have access to the community.

• People’s relatives told us they felt people were cared for by staff who were kind and compassionate. One relative said, “I would give them 10 out of 10 in everything they do.”

• People’s needs were assessed and care was delivered in line with current practices. Their care plans contained the information and guidance staff needed to support people. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

• People were supported to make their own decisions about their care and were supported by staff in their best interests.

• People were supported with their nutritional needs and to maintain their health and well-being.

• Staff respected people’s rights to privacy and dignity and their independence and access to the community was promoted and encouraged.

• The provider had systems for assessing and monitoring the quality of the service and implementing improvement where required and managing complaints.

At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated good (Last report was published on 25 October 2016).

Why we inspected:

We inspected this service as part of our ongoing Adult Social Care inspection programme. This was a planned inspection based on the previous Good rating. Previous CQC ratings and the time since the last inspection were also taken into consideration.

Follow up:

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