Archived: Horton Education and Care

Updated 27 November 2015

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 registered provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 9 and 14 September 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection was completed by one adult social care inspector.

The local authority safeguarding and quality teams and the local NHS were contacted as part of the inspection, to ask them for their views on the service and whether they had any ongoing concerns. We also looked at the information we hold about the registered provider.

We spoke with the person who used the service during the inspection. We observed how staff interacted and supported the person who used the service.

We spoke with three care staff and the registered manger.

We looked at the care file which belonged to the person who used the service. We also looked at other important documentation such as incident and accident records and medicine administration records [MARs]. We looked at how the service used the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty code of practice to ensure that the person who used the service was not deprived of their liberty unlawfully and action taken by the registered provider was in line with current legislation.

We looked at a selection of documentation relating to the management and running of the service. These included three staff recruitment files, training records, staff rotas, supervision records for staff, minutes of meetings with staff and the person who used the service, safeguarding records, quality assurance audits, maintenance of equipment records, cleaning schedules and menus. We also undertook a tour of the building.

Updated 27 November 2015

The service is provided in a domestic dwelling and is registered with the Care Quality Commission [CQC] to provide care and accommodation for a maximum of two who have a learning disability. At the time of the inspection one person was living at the service.

This inspection took place on 9 and 14 September 2015 and was unannounced. This was the first time the service had been inspected.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [CQC] to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff understood they had a duty to keep the person safe and protect them from harm. They had received training which had equipped them with the skills and knowledge to identify abuse and how to report this so the person was safe. Staff had been recruited safely and the registered provider’s recruitment procedures ensured as far as practicable the person was not exposed to staff who had been barred from working with vulnerable adults. Staff were provided in enough numbers to meet the needs of the person who used the service. Medicines were handled safely and staff had received training in this area.

The person who used the service was provided with a wholesome and nutritional diet which was of their choosing. Staff supported the person to prepare their own meals and guided them on making healthy options. Staff had received training which equipped them to meet the needs of the person who used the service. The person were supported to access health care professionals when needed and staff supported them to lead a healthy life style. Staff were trained in and understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act [MCA] and understood when these principles applied.

The person who used the service had good relationships with the staff who understood their needs. Staff respected the person’s dignity, privacy and upheld their human rights and choices. The person who used the service was involved in decisions about their care and had attended meetings to set goals and fulfil ambitions.

The person who used the service could choose how to spend their days and the staff respected their choices. The person’s preferences about how they wanted to be cared for were recorded and they had an input into the content of their care plans. Care plans described the person, for example their likes and dislikes and how they preferred to spend their day. There was a complaints procedure in place and the person who used the service knew they had a right to complain and who these should be directed to.

The person who used the service was involved with the running of the service, their opinions were sought and changes were made as a result of suggestions made. The registered manager undertook audits to ensure the person received a safe service which effectively met their needs.