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CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Resolve (Care Northern)

Highview House

Low Road, Kirk Merrington, Spennymoor, DL16 7JT

Outstandingpublished 26 September 2023, 2 years ago

Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the service performing exceptionally well.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
The previous Safe rating was Good and was not changed. Inspectors found that some blanket restrictions were not effectively recorded or reviewed, although action was taken during the inspection.
Effective?
Outstanding
This question was not assessed as part of the targeted inspection.
Caring?
Outstanding
This question was not assessed as part of the targeted inspection.
Responsive?
Outstanding
This question was not assessed as part of the targeted inspection.
Well-led?
Outstanding
The previous Well-led rating was Outstanding and was not changed. People described the culture as supportive and empowering, and said their concerns were acted on.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, December 2023

Targeted inspection was not rated; the previous Outstanding rating remains, with action needed on blanket restrictions.

This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 2, 8 and 24 November 2023. Inspectors were checking concerns about a closed culture and blanket restrictions. They spoke with 6 people and 5 staff, and reviewed all 8 people's care records.

People described the home as supportive and empowering. Inspectors found that staff worked to avoid restraint, protected people from abuse and helped people have choice, control and independence. They also found that the culture was open, respectful and inclusive.

Some blanket restrictions were not recorded or reviewed well enough. The managers took action during the inspection. The CQC recommended that restrictions are kept under regular review and made individual, limited, proportionate and legally necessary.

This inspection was not a full review of the service. The overall rating remains Outstanding from the previous inspection, published on 26 September 2023. The Safe and Well-led ratings were not changed because only specific parts of those areas were examined.

What inspectors praised

  • Supportive culture

    People spoke positively about the culture. They said staff supported and empowered them.

    “People spoke very positively about the culture of the service, which they said was supportive and empowering.” from the report

  • Choice and independence

    Staff supported people to have as much choice, control and independence as possible, and tried to avoid restraint.

    “The service supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence.” from the report

  • People's views heard

    People could raise concerns, and records showed that their views were regularly sought when decisions were made about the home.

    “Records showed that people's views were regularly sought and they were involved in decisions on how the service was run.” from the report

  • Protection from abuse

    Inspectors found that staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse, and worked with other agencies.

    “Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

  • Blanket restrictions

    needs fixing

    Some restrictions on people's decisions were not recorded or reviewed effectively. The provider acted during the inspection, but the CQC made a recommendation for ongoing review.

    “In some cases, blanket restrictions were being used which were not being effectively recorded or reviewed.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Which blanket restrictions were identified, and what action has been taken to record and review them?
  2. 02How do you make sure every restriction is individualised, kept to a minimum and legally necessary?
  3. 03How are people and relevant external professionals involved when restrictions are agreed or reviewed?
  4. 04How can residents raise concerns, and how do you show that their concerns have been acted on?
  5. 05What will be checked at the next comprehensive inspection, since this inspection did not review the whole Safe or Well-led questions?

This was a targeted inspection of specific concerns about closed cultures and blanket restrictions; it did not assess the whole of any key question, and other ratings carry over from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 December 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, September 2023

Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptionally caring, effective and well-led support, with safety rated Good.

The inspection was unannounced and took place over visits in April, May, June and July 2023. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and professionals. They observed care and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.

The home supports up to eight autistic people and people with learning disabilities who have a forensic history. Inspectors found that people received highly personalised support from staff who understood their needs, helped them build independence and supported them to achieve their goals.

The home was rated Outstanding overall. Effective, caring and well-led were rated Outstanding. Safe was rated Good. The report says the Outstanding overall rating is based on this inspection, while any key question not inspected used the previous rating.

What inspectors praised

  • Highly personalised support

    Staff knew people very well and supported them to improve their independence and quality of life. The home used different communication tools to help people express their views.

    “People received exceptional support from dedicated, highly motivated and compassionate staff.” from the report

  • Strong staff training

    Staff received specialist training in areas including trauma-informed practice, attachment theory and positive behaviour support. New staff had extra time, support and mentoring to understand people's needs.

    “The provider went far beyond what was required in terms of staff induction and training.” from the report

  • Exceptional leadership

    Inspectors found a strong culture focused on people's achievements, independence and wellbeing. Managers used feedback, investigations and governance checks to improve the service.

    “The leadership of this service was exceptional and distinctive.” from the report

  • Compassionate care

    People were treated as individuals and their dignity, human rights and choices were consistently promoted. Staff supported people through distress and helped them take part in activities, education and work opportunities.

    “They received extremely compassionate care which exceeded expectations.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How will you assess whether this home's specialist support matches my relative's needs and risks?
  2. 02What specialist training would the staff supporting my relative have completed?
  3. 03How would my relative be supported to communicate their views and take part in decisions about their care?
  4. 04How would you support my relative during distress, medical appointments or other situations that cause anxiety?
  5. 05How would you help my relative develop independence through education, activities, volunteering or work opportunities?

This was a focused inspection of Safe, Effective and Well-led, with Caring added after inspectors found exceptional practice; Responsive was not inspected and any uninspected ratings carried over from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 September 2023 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Highview House

3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Outstanding rating throughout.

  1. December 2023Inspected but not ratedcurrent rating
    Safe: Inspected but not ratedWell-led: Inspected but not rated

    Read what inspectors found at Highview House →

  2. September 2023Outstandingstayed Outstanding
    Safe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding

    Read what inspectors found at Highview House →

  3. February 2018Outstandingstayed Outstanding
    Safe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: GoodWell-led: Outstanding

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. December 2015Outstanding
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. October 2014

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 October 2014.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.

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