Northampton care home staff 'over the moon' after being rated 'outstanding' in first ever inspection

Spinney Hill House care home staff have been described as 'caring and attentive' and 'they empower residents to develop independence and live life as full as possible'
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A Northampton care home has been rated 'outstanding' in its first ever inspection by the care provider watchdog.

Spinney Hill House is a residential care home that supports up to three young adults with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and mental health disorders.

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The care home was registered in February 2020 so its first inspection was carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on August 17.

Spinney Hill House care home staff on their 'Walk for Autism' in March 2021.Spinney Hill House care home staff on their 'Walk for Autism' in March 2021.
Spinney Hill House care home staff on their 'Walk for Autism' in March 2021.

The CQC gave an overall rating of 'outstanding' and published a report about the home in December.

The report states: "We found Spinney Hill House was exceptional at placing people at the heart of the service."

Manager at Spinney Hill House, Michelle Bennett, said: "We were ecstatic because we opened at the beginning of Covid. It was a challenging time with the lockdowns and to get outstanding was just amazing.

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"The staff were over the moon. They all celebrated and had a little buffet party. I am really proud of them."

Spinney Hill House.Spinney Hill House.
Spinney Hill House.

The report noted the 'positive and empowering culture' established within the service and described staff as 'caring and attentive', 'knowledgeable' and 'committed' to forming positive relationships with the residents they supported, advocating for them to ensure their views were heard.

The CQC found that residents are treated with 'dignity and respect' and they were encouraged to live life as full as possible and develop their independence so they can achieve their full potential.

Residents are routinely empowered to take positive risks to ensure they had greater choice and control of their lives; the report said this demonstrated how staff respected their rights for independence. They are also involved in the process of recruiting staff, they are supported with job applications and challenging legal restrictions if they wished to.

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Michelle continued: "The staff all pulled together during Covid - we all stopped going out and seeing our families to keep the home safe.

"We are a family - we involve the residents in the running of the home. It is about their home and we try to empower them to make decisions with the support of the staff."

The inspection deduced that care at Spinney Hill home is 'person-centered' and designed by residents, relatives, staff and external professionals collaboratively. Healthcare and nutritional needs are always being met and residents have access to health professionals as and when required.

The report found that staff have received high quality training to ensure they are confident and competent at delivering care. The report also said that staff spend a lot of time getting to know residents and their specific needs.

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Staff also told inspectors that they received 'outstanding support' from the management team at both a professional and personal level and they are actively encouraged to develop their skills and follow career progression within the service.

Michelle, describing the Spinney Hill House staff, added: "They are really dedicated and they put the residents before themselves. They have always had that as their aim."

The CQC regulates health and social care service providers to ensure they deliver service users with safe, effective, compassionate and high quality care.

Spinney Hill House is managed by the Albany Care Group.

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