Halcon House is a residential care home providing personal care and accommodation for up to 18 people at any time. The service specialises in providing a service to people with complex physical disabilities who require respite care. There are currently eight people who live permanently at the home and approximately 80 people who use the service for respite care. At the time of the inspection 18 people were using the service.

At the last inspection in March 2015, the service was rated Good.

There is a registered manager in post. 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.

Halcon House provided a service to a constantly changing group of people whose needs were varied and complex. However everyone we spoke with felt their needs were met and everyone said they felt valued regardless of their abilities. One person said, “Everyone is accepted for who they are.” Another person told us they felt part of a large family. They said, “People say there’s no place like home. I say there’s no place like Halcon.”

There was a very happy atmosphere in the home and laughter could be heard throughout the building. People were extremely comfortable with the staff who supported them and people engaged in friendly banter with each other and staff.

The registered manager promoted an ethos of equality and inclusion which helped to give people a sense of belonging and self-worth. Staff worked hard to break down barriers between staff and people using the service to make sure everyone felt valued. One person said, “I don’t think of it as a care home. It’s just home.”

The registered manager, staff team and the provider were committed to providing a high standard of care to people. They listened to people’s views and suggestions and acted on these wherever possible. People spoke extremely highly of the service and the staff. We asked one person how the service could be improved and they told us, “You can’t improve on perfection.”

Staff at the home received training which ensured they were skilled and competent to meet people’s complex needs. Staff had specialist skills which helped to promote people’s choice and control over their care and treatment. One person said, “They know us all really well and they know how to do things properly.” A visitor said, “The staff are absolutely marvellous they cope wonderfully with everything.”

Risk assessments were carried out in partnership with people to enable people to maintain their independence with minimum risk to themselves or others. People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. One person said, “I couldn’t really feel safer.”

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people needs in an unhurried manner. People told us they never felt rushed and staff always had time to talk and listen.

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 26 March 2015.

Halcon House provides care and support to people who have a physical disability and/or sensory loss. The home is able to accommodate up to 18 people. Seven people live permanently at the home and over 80 people use the service for short respite breaks. At the time of the inspection there were 16 people using the service.

There is a registered manager in post. 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.

People who used the service thought there was an open culture which enabled them to share their views and raise concerns. People said they felt respected and valued as a person. One person said “You couldn’t improve this place. The positive attitude comes from the top and filters all the way down.”

Care was personalised to people’s individual needs and wishes and there were opportunities to share their views through meetings, taking part in staff interviews, care plan reviews and on-going discussions with staff. People told us they continued to make decisions about their care and were able to make choices about all aspects of their day to day lives.

People spoke very highly about the staff who supported them. More than one person said they thought of Halcon House as a home from home. One person said “It’s like staying with family. I couldn’t be better cared for if it was my family providing the care.” Another person told us “They care about me.”

Everyone who lived or stayed at the home had a single room and their privacy was respected. People said they were always able to see visitors in private and staff respected their right to confidentiality.

Staff felt well supported and had opportunities to take part in up to date training to make sure they had the skills needed to effectively support people. People using the service felt staff had the appropriate skills and experience to meet their needs.

People had access to healthcare professionals according to their individual needs. People who lived at the home were registered with local doctor’s surgeries and the staff accessed healthcare professionals for those staying on a respite care basis when required.

People’s nutritional needs were assessed and met. The staff catered for people’s dietary preferences and made sure food was in line with their nutritional needs. People told us drinks and snacks were available throughout the day and night.

There were sufficient numbers of staff at all times to meet people’s needs in an unhurried and safe manner. People told us they never felt rushed and staff were always available when they needed them.

People’s medicines were safely administered by staff who had received training and had their competency assessed. Risk assessments were carried out with people who wished to administer their own medicines and these were regularly reviewed to ensure they remained safe to do so.

There was a thorough recruitment process which minimised the risks of abuse to people. New staff undertook an induction training programme and had opportunities to shadow more experienced staff to make sure they were confident and safe to carry out their roles.

People told us they felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. We observed a relaxed and friendly atmosphere with lots of laughter and friendly banter throughout our visit.

At the time of this visit there were 17 people using the service. Five people lived permanently at the home and 12 people were receiving respite care. We spoke with three people who lived at the home and seven people receiving respite care.

Everyone we spoke with was extremely complimentary about the care they received. Comments included; “The care is fantastic, all the staff go over and above to make sure things are right” and “Everything here is brilliant from the moment you come through the door you feel looked after.”

People were fully involved in all decisions about their care and treatment. People who were using the service told us that they were always consulted about the care and support they received. One person said “I always do my care plan with the staff when I arrive but really I tell the staff what I want on a daily basis.”

Throughout our visit we noted that there was a calm, relaxed atmosphere in the home. People appeared very comfortable with the staff who supported them and all said that they could discuss any issues or concerns with a member of staff. One person said “If you want to talk with a member of staff or the manager they always listen. They never brush you off or make light of your worries.”

We observed that staff working on the day of the inspection were competent and well-motivated.

There were systems in place to effectively monitor the quality of care and to identify and minimise risks to people.

People who used the service were very happy with the care that they received. Comments included “I wouldn’t want to be cared for anywhere else, I get everything I need” and “I feel really well looked after.”

People who used the service said that staff were always respectful and asked for their opinions and views about their care and how they wished to be assisted. One person said “They write down how I like things done.” Another person told us “They never do anything without my consent.”

Staff, and people who used the service, said there was adequate suitable equipment to meet their needs. This meant that people did not need to wait for equipment to become available before receiving support.

People said that they thought that there was always enough staff on duty to support them. One person said “They never rush you and always have time to talk things over with you.” Another person told us “You can do what you like really the staff just seem to fit in with you.”

On the day of the inspection the home was adequately staffed and we noted that all requests for assistance were responded to promptly. We also noted that staff had time to spend on a one to one basis with people who used the service.

People said that they would be comfortable to make a complaint and felt confident that it would be taken seriously and fully investigated. Comments included “I would go to my key worker if anything was bothering me” and “I did make a complaint once and things changed.”

The majority of people using the service are receiving respite care but a small number of people live permanently at Halcon House.

People felt that they were able to make decisions about all aspects of their care and daily life. One person said “Staff don’t mind what you do, you can carry on the same routines that you had at home, they just fit in with it.”

Everyone said that their care plan was discussed with them and alterations were made in line with their changing needs and wishes. One person said “I need full care from the staff and although I have a care plan that says exactly what I need and like, I can talk to staff at any time if I feel I would like things done differently. We don’t always change the care plan because it may be just how I feel that day.”

People said that when they arrived at the home staff went through their care plan with them to make sure that they were happy with the content. One person said “The care plan is yours, if you are not happy with something, or what you need has changed, we adjust it together.”

The home has put in place a new system to ensure that activities are arranged in line with people’s interests and wishes. Each person is now asked at the beginning of their stay if there are any activities that they would like to take part in during the week. People said that staff tried to accommodate everyone’s wishes but people appreciated that this was not always possible so they sometimes had to make compromises.

People who live permanently at the home are allocated one to one staff time each week to ensure that they are able to take part in activities of their choosing. One person living at the home said “I say what I want and they help me to do it.”

People using the service said that they felt safe and that staff were always kind and respectful. One person said “I always feel very safe when I come here, staff are all friendly and willing to listen to you but they are always professional.” Another person said “The manager and staff are so approachable if anything was worrying me I would discuss it with one of them.”

People were very complimentary about the staff working at the home. People agreed that staff were friendly and professional in their approach. One person said “Staff are well trained and they know what they are doing.”

People using the service were extremely happy with the care that they received. Comments included “The care I get is a very high standard” and “I’m very happy with the care I get when I’m here. Everything is very personal and staff remember the little things that you like so you feel quite special.”