Background to this inspection
Updated
22 December 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the 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.
The inspection took place on 26 and 27 October 2016. The first day of the inspection was unannounced and we told the registered manager we would be returning the next day.
The inspection was conducted by a single inspector.
Prior to the inspection, we looked at all the information we held on the service including notifications of significant events and safeguarding. Notifications are for certain changes, events and incidents affecting the service or the people who use it that providers are required to notify us about. We also contacted the local authority’s Commissioning Team and Safeguarding Team for feedback of their knowledge of the service.
During the inspection, we spoke with five people who used the service and interviewed five staff members including the registered manager and the unit manager. We looked at the care plans for four people who used the service. We also saw files for six staff which included recruitment records, supervision and appraisals and we looked at training records. After the inspection we spoke with six relatives, one health care professional and two social care professionals.
We looked at medicines management for people who used the service. Additionally we looked at the environment, maintenance, servicing checks and audits.
Updated
22 December 2016
The inspection took place on 26 and 27 October 2016. The first day of the inspection was unannounced and we told the registered manager we would be returning the next day.
The last inspection visit took place on 29 April 2015 and the service was rated Good.
Hawthorn Farm is part of Positive Care, a family run business which provides support to people with mental health needs and has one other location. Hawthorn Farm is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 11 people who have mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people living at the service.
The day to day running of the home was undertaken by the unit manager who the registered manager worked closely with to ensure the service was run effectively. The registered manager was the registered manager for both of Positive Care’s locations and a director with Positive Care. 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.
During the inspection, we saw medicines were not always managed safely.
Staff appraisals were not all up to date. We recommended that staff receive support through appropriate professional development to enable them to carry out their duties.
The service had a safeguarding policy. Staff had attended safeguarding training and knew how to report safeguarding concerns. Risks assessments were in place to minimise the risk to people using the service and staff knew how to record incidents and accidents. The provider followed safe recruitment procedures.
There were service checks carried out to ensure the environment was safe.
Staff had the relevant skills to care for people using the service and were supported through supervision and training. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 guidance was being followed and people had choices.
People were supported to have enough to eat and drink and were able to have food and drinks when they wanted to.
People had access health care services and the service worked with other community based agencies such as the community mental health team.
People who used the service told us staff were kind and their dignity and privacy was respected.
Care plans were person centred and up to date. We saw people were involved in contributing to their reviews.
An appropriate complaints procedure was available.
The service had systems to monitor the quality of service delivered and to ensure the needs of the people who used the service were being met.
The unit manager and registered manager were approachable. Staff and people using the service said the managers listened to what they had to say.
Renovation works for the home were being planned for the end of 2016.
We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.