We carried out a review of the data available to us about Hulton Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Hulton Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following areas of good practice:
The registered manager had established robust infection prevention and control procedures which were understood and followed by the staff. All staff had completed training on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and participated in the weekly testing programme. The service had plentiful supplies of PPE and stocks were carefully monitored. The premises were kept in a clean and hygienic condition throughout and regular checks were undertaken to ensure infection prevention and control measures were maintained.
There was clear signage for staff and visitors. Anyone entering the home had their temperature taken to identify any signs of infection. Although visiting was subject to government restrictions, the registered manager had found different ways to enable people to maintain contact with their relatives, which included the use of technology.
The atmosphere in the home was warm, settled and calm. The registered manager and staff had worked hard to maintain people’s spirits and wellbeing and emphasis had been placed on providing safe and kind care.
The provider’s infection prevention and control policies and procedures were up to date and an audit had been carried out. The provider had also developed a Covid-19 contingency plan, which set out in detail the continuity of the service during the current pandemic.
We were assured this service met good infection prevention and control guidelines.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
Hulton Care Home 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. Accommodation is provided on two floors. The home is divided into two areas with the Nelson suite providing care for people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 27 people accommodated in the home.
The service was managed by a registered manager. 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.
We carried out the last comprehensive inspection on 26 and 27 July 2017 and assessed the service as overall requires improvement. We identified three breaches in respect to the management of risks, care planning and the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Following the inspection, the provider sent us an action plan, which set out the actions they intended to take to meet the regulations. During this inspection, we found improvements had been made and the service was now compliant with all the current regulations. We have revised the rating to overall good.
People living in the home told us they felt safe and staff treated them well. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. Appropriate recruitment procedures were followed to ensure prospective staff were suitable to work in the home. People received their medicines when they needed them from staff who had been trained and had their competency checked. Risk assessments were carried out to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People were kept safe from abuse and harm and staff knew how to report any suspicions around abuse. Staff understood best practice for reducing the risk of infection and audits were carried out to ensure the environment was clean and safe.
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. Staff were provided with the training they required in order to support people safely and effectively. An induction and training programme was in place for all staff. A detailed assessment was carried out to assess people’s needs and preferences prior to them receiving a service. This meant that care outcomes were planned and staff understood what support each person required. People were supported with their healthcare and nutritional needs, as appropriate.
Staff treated people in a respectful and dignified manner and people's privacy was respected. People living in the home had been consulted about their care needs and had been involved wherever possible in the care planning process. We observed people were happy, comfortable and relaxed with staff. Care plans and risk assessments were person centred and provided guidance for staff on how to meet people’s needs and preferences. There were established arrangements in place to ensure the care plans were reviewed and updated regularly. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and were supported to participate in a variety of daily activities. People were also offered the opportunity to go on regular trips in the community.
The registered manager was well respected and provided strong, supportive leadership to her team. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and ensure people received safe and effective care. These included seeking and responding to feedback from people in relation to the standard of care.
Hulton Care Nursing Home (Nelson) is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 30 people. The service is not registered to provide nursing care. The home specialises in providing care for older people and people living with dementia and is situated in a residential area near to Nelson town centre. The home is divided into two areas with the Nelson suite providing care for people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 30 people accommodated in the home.
The service was managed by a registered manager. 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.
This was the first inspection of the home since the registration of a new provider.
During the inspection we found there were three breaches of the regulations, in respect of the management of risks, care planning and the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.
People told us they felt safe and staff were kind and caring. Safeguarding adults’ procedures were in place and staff understood how to safeguard people from abuse. However, risk assessments had not always been carried out in line with people’s needs and preferences.
People were supported by enough skilled staff so their care and support could be provided at a time and pace convenient for them. Appropriate recruitment procedures were followed to ensure prospective staff were suitable to work in the home. People's medicines were managed appropriately and according to the records seen people received their medicines as prescribed by health care professionals.
People’s mental capacity to make their own decisions had not been assessed and recorded in line the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This meant there was a risk that some people may not be supported in the least restrictive way possible.
Staff were supported in their roles via a system of training, supervision and appraisal. The area manager told us that a new programme of staff training was due to be introduced. All staff had the opportunity to attend meetings and provide feedback on the service. Staff spoken with told us they were well supported and had confidence in the registered manager.
There were appropriate arrangements in place to support people to have a varied and healthy diet. People had access to a GP and other health care professionals when they needed them. There were no restrictions placed on visitors and they were made welcome in the home.
Staff treated people in a respectful and dignified manner and people's privacy was respected. We observed people were happy, comfortable and relaxed with staff. People were offered the opportunity to participate in a variety of social activities. However, people were at risk of receiving inconsistent and unsafe support as care plans did not provide an accurate or up to date description of people's needs and preferences.
There was a complaints process in place and people were confident their concerns would be listened to and acted upon. However, at the time of the inspection, people living in the home did not have access to a complaints procedure.
The registered manager used a number of ways to assess and monitor the quality of the service, which included feedback from people, their relatives and staff, however we found a number of shortfalls during the inspection. The registered manager was forward looking and told us she was committed to making improvements to the service.